[MANILA, PHILIPPINES] The tournament featured top TCG talent, including imcute, YGG Esports’ Sequinox and Zeliaser, and Filipino guild One Turn TILT’s Gaben and Boolzi. Devmon fielded Hearthstone veteran Lamby and brothers BlizzconJan and Jobsad, who finished 3rd and 2nd. BlizzconJan eliminated last year’s champion Zeliaser before Jobsad won their sibling face-off in the loser’s bracket finals.
“It’s completely crazy to win this event,” said Viper. “Last year, I came here as a spectator for the first time [for the Parallel] LAN event. Now I was competing, and it’s just indescribable to be here. I love the Philippines. I love this event.”
The 16 participants qualified through two online tournaments held in October, with the top 8 players of each qualifier invited to Manila. Players brought three decks and competed in a double-elimination best-of-3 format, meaning they had to win with each deck they brought to advance.
Parallel Studios co-founder Kohji Nagata, YGG Play Summit Arena host John Sedano, and casters Mooka and Lamby, seasoned TCG players themselves, joined Viper onstage to present the prize.
“It was our Parallel tournament last year here that really solidified to me that we have to do a big live event,” said Nagata in an onstage interview before the final, alongside YGG co-founder Gabby Dizon, led by Sedano. “I really appreciate everyone here in the Philippines and all the energy they bring to Parallel. I remember the first time I came, and Gabby, Sequinox, and [YGG content creator] Excelsor were the only people who really knew what we were doing. Now, to be here and see all this, people in jerseys, it’s just amazing.” Early this year, Parallel held the US$250,000 Parallel Prime Championship at HyperX Arena in Las Vegas, demonstrating the growing scale of its tournaments.
Developed by Parallel Studios, Parallel is a digital sci-fi TCG where factions called Parallels compete to control the planet. The game takes inspiration from popular TCGs such as Magic: The Gathering and Hearthstone.
Nagata also shared onstage that Parallel is now available on the Apple App Store. The game’s mobile version initially launched for Android in March 2025, starting with a limited regional release in the Philippines.
Other tournaments took place at the YGG Play Summit Arena, one of the four “districts” of the City of Play expo focused on Web3 esports. The day before the YGG Parallel Showdown, Ubisoft’s Might & Magic: Fates held its first-ever tournament, where YGG Esports player Tyler claimed the top prize. The Vibes Asian Championship is also underway, with the finals scheduled for November 22.
“We designed the YGG Play Summit to provide a space for the best and most competitive Web3 games and players in the world to gather,” said YGG co-founder Gabby Dizon. “Last year’s YGG Parallel Showdown was extremely successful. There was so much good energy and good drama, and I think this year’s event was even more intense. A lot of players expressed excitement for more tournaments to happen here in the Philippines.”
Outside the Arena, the City of Play spans the Player District with the biggest Web3 games, the Degen District for crypto-native gamers, and the Skill District for workshops and career-oriented events such as Metaversity Interactive, a forum that brought together stakeholders from industry, government, and academe to address critical gaps in the emerging workforce.
After the YGG Parallel Showdown, the GAM3 Awards held its live event at Samsung Hall, where Off The Grid claimed five awards, including Game of the Year, and Cagy was named Best Content Creator.
On November 22, Metaversity’s Prompt to Prototype vibe coding event, powered by Base, will teach builders how to create a game using AI.
About YGG Pilipinas
YGG Pilipinas, Yield Guild Games’ regional partner in the Philippines, has been empowering a growing community of gamers, creators, and builders since 2021. As the largest supporter of Web3 and AI adoption in the country, YGG Pilipinas regularly produces educational content and hosts community events for its over 1 million members and social media followers. These initiatives include the online learning platform Metaversity, the multi-city tour MFW Caravan (formerly known as YGG Pilipinas Roadtrip), and the weekly Discord show YGG Fiesta.
About YGG Play Summit
The YGG Play Summit is the largest player-focused Web3 gaming event in the world. It returns to the Philippines on November 19-22, 2025, transforming Manila into a pop-up metropolis called the “City of Play.” The event comprises four unique districts — The Arena, Skill District, Player District, and Degen District — for visitors to explore, connect, learn, and play in different ways.
