Vibes Asian Championship crowns Oxtraxex in Manila

MANILA, Philippines — The Vibes Asian Championship concluded Saturday, November 22, with John Fitzgerald “Oxtraxex” Poculan of gaming guild 8888 winning the first regional title at the YGG Play Summit in Manila.

Poculan defeated guildmate Jerald Jay “Asamax” Pamiloza in a tense final to claim the US$4,000 top prize from the event’s US$20,000 pool.

Seventy-seven players from across Asia competed in the two-day tournament for Orange Cap Games’ Vibes trading card game, which uses the Pudgy Penguins IP.

After a flawless 10-0 run, Asamax entered the final as the favorite, but Oxtraxex outplayed the counterdeck to secure victory.

The match was cast by YGG Esports player Feno and Orange Cap Games co-founder Elliot Kahn.

The top eight competitors advanced from a Swiss+1 format into single-elimination play, with Hearthstone pros CaraCute and Staz joining Magic: The Gathering veterans Eton Delmoro, Moises Ong, and Cholo Pascual in the final bracket.

The top 32 finishers received cash prizes ranging from US$250 to US$4,000.

The tournament was officiated by Magic: The Gathering Premier Judge Sashi Balakrishnan of Malaysia.

For Oxtraxex, who traveled from Zamboanga Sibugay, the event marked his first in-person TCG competition.

Despite never having played the physical version of Vibes, he has been an active online player since the game’s Season 0 launch in December 2024.

Orange Cap Games announced that all top eight players earned invitations to the Vibes 2025 World Championship at SCG CON Portland, scheduled for January 23–26, 2026.

Kahn praised the Manila community for its strong reception, noting the excitement surrounding the game’s limited 15,000-box first print run.

The YGG Play Summit also hosted the US$100,000 YGG Parallel Showdown, won by former Hearthstone pro Viper, and the first esports tournament for Ubisoft’s Might & Magic: Fates, won by YGG Esports player Tyler.

Industry figures from Sky Mavis, OpenSea, Pixels, and Gunzilla Games spoke at the Summit’s Town Hall, while the City of Play expo showcased Web3 games, esports, and game-building workshops.

Gunzilla Games’ Off The Grid took five awards at GAM3S.GG’s GAM3 Awards, while Mythical Games’ Pudgy Party earned Best Mobile Game and Best Casual Game honors.