Orangutan acquires Pokemon UNITE Asia champion Hi5 lineup

Orangutan Gaming has acquired the roster of Pokemon UNITE Asia Champions League 2023 winner Hi5, who hails from Taiwan. The superstar lineup drew widespread attention during the recent league, which boasted the best six squads from Asia.

On April 17, Orangutan officially announced their latest acquisition, which read:

"It's time to level up. We are thrilled to announce that we have officially signed the new Pokemon Unite Roster, Champions of Asia. We're confident that they'll bring their A-game and help us achieve our goals together. We can't wait to see them in action and dominate the competition."

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Orangutan Gaming Pokemon UNITE roster

1. SHINGD
2. BKZ
3. IKURA
4. ZZZRAY
5. WUSHUAN

The Taiwanese squad exhibited their potential in the East Asia Qualifiers, where four other teams from Japan and South Korea also participated. The team emerged triumphant in every match they played during both the League Stage and Playoffs.

Hi5 then fought in the 2023 Pokemon UNITE Asia Champions League, which was hosted on March 18 and 19 among six teams, including two Indian squads. The five-man unit also continued their winning streak in the League Stage as well as the Playoffs. They hammered Malaysia's team MYS in the B05 Grand Finals with a scoreline of 3-2 to become the Asia champion. The game publisher awarded them the first prize of $30K for their outstanding performance.

Each player demonstrated perfect game sense and ability in the previous event and will hope to continue their momentum at the new home. ZZZRAY and BKZ delivered outstanding performances in the Grand Finals of the Asia Champions League, assisting Hi5 to lift the elusive title there.

Orangutan Gaming debuted in Pokemon UNITE esports last year in August by recruiting APAC champion No Lucario's roster. Their squad also fought in the Inaugural World Championship but didn't meet the anticipated level and was eliminated during the Group Stage. The firm parted ways with the lineup earlier this year in January.

Recently, Orangutan also bid farewell to several of their content creators as well as the Free Fire team. Their focus will now be on the upcoming Pokémon Unite World Championship, which is set for August in Yokohama, Japan. The publisher has already announced the 2023 Esports roadmap, including regional competitions and featuring a total prize pool of $1 million.