One of the biggest esports teams in Indonesia is calling it quits, dealing a blow to the fast growing esports scene in the region’s largest economy.
Aerowolf announced that they are shutting down their operations, which includes their Mobile Legends and PUBG Mobile teams as well as talent management.
“Hereby we announce that we, Aerowolf Pro Team, are officially shutting down our operations, for Mobile Legends, PUBG Mobile, and talent,”said Aerowolf Pro Team management on their official website.
Aerowolf was a big player in the Indonesian esports scene. They had three major teams competing in Mobile Legends, PUBG Mobile, and Free Fire.
Their Mobile Legends team joined franchise league MPL, which is the biggest league in Southeast Asia. The team was sponsored by Genflix, a film streaming platform in Indonesia.
Their PUBG Mobile team, called Aerowolf Limax, also achieved great achievements. Recently, they brought home $20,200 from winning the PMPL Fall Split 2021. Their Free Fire team placed third in the recent Free Fire Master League Season 3 Division 1 a few months ago.
What really happened?
Aerowolf did not give an explanation why they were disbanding their operations. But the lack of funds is most likely the reason.
Their players clearly stated that they haven’t been paid by the company for months. One of their players, in a recent talk show with YouTuber Emperor, said that they haven’t been paid since MPL Season 6, two seasons ago.
Fortunately, many of its players have already found new homes. Aerowolf’s Mobile Legends players are now with another organisation called Rebellion Esports and changed their name to Rebellion Genflix. The name change also reflects Genflix switch from Aerowolf to Rebellion Esports.
Their PUBG Mobile players have been all transferred to Alter Ego, with the name of Alter Ego Limax. As for their Free Fire team, MBR Esports is currently helping to manage the players.
The loss of the Aerowolf brand, whose slogans used to be #RisingWolf (ironic), is a big blow to the growing esports community and signals just how difficult it is to maintain a professional esports team in the cutthroat industry.
Were there other reasons? We don’t know for sure. But if you do, drop us a note and we will do our best to report on the ongoing esports industry in Indonesia.
What are your best memories of the Aerowolf team? Let us know in the comments below.