After their elimination from The First Stand 2026, TSW Warhorse reflected on the team’s performance and mindset throughout the tournament.
Team Secret Whales (TSW) has been growing in the Pacific region since they officially joined Tier 1 at the end of 2024, following a partnership between Team Whales and Team Secret. In 2026, the team finally reached its first regional title, with coach Chen “WarHorse” Ju-Chih leading the team.
On their second appearance on the international stage, following their debut at the League of Legends (LoL) Worlds 2025, the team arrived at the First Stand with confidence, but they failed to keep their run alive. In an interview with esports.gg following their elimination match against BFX, coach WarHorse reflected on the team’s performance, their diverse drafting choices, and the impact of their region.
Drafting choices and adaptation
During the Team Secret Whales run at The First Stand 2026, the team brought many odd picks, champions that don’t often appear in the competitive scenario. Volibear and LeBlanc were some of the choices. “The Fearless Draft was incredible for both the audience and the players. It allows players to use their imagination and bring different approaches to the game,” TSW WarHorse explained. “We now have more flexibility to adapt depending on the situation, which I believe makes us stronger.”
Against BFX, the coach recognizes the team was not able to capitalize on their early advantage in all matches, leading to a 0-3 score. “This is our first international tournament this year, and we’ve faced some of the best teams from different regions,” he said. “From the beginning, it was very difficult, but I think the team gradually adapted to each other’s rhythm. I hope the next tournament will be better for us.”
For the coach, the series against BFX was much better than the one against G2 Esports, showing that the team was able to improve in a short amount of time. However, it wasn’t enough to secure a stronger international run.
Why is the Pacific struggling on the international stage?
“I think it comes down to our mentality,” TSW WarHorse explained. “Even though we’re not from the strongest region, we have to keep our heads up and bring a better mindset to the international stage. We have the talent, and we know we can perform, but we haven’t been able to fully translate that onto the stage.”
The coach believes the team didn’t bring the strong mindset needed to compete for the title or advance further in the tournament, which ultimately hurt their run. “We want more than regional titles, but to achieve that, we need to perform better and adopt a stronger mentality on the international stage.”
Since his time coaching in China, the coach believes that the biggest differences between regions lie in culture and player personalities. “It was challenging, but I think coaching in China was a very interesting moment in my career.”
TSW Warhorse on his return to the international stage
WarHorse has been a coach since 2026, with a career spanning the Pacific region and China. In 2019, he won the LoL Worlds 2019 edition with FunPlus Phoenix, bringing the first international trophy to the region. He coached other Chinese organizations after that title, but didn’t achieve a title.
Eight years after leaving the Pacific region, he returned to coach Team Secret Whales. “I’m happy to be back, but I’m sad our run ended here. I believe we need to focus more on raising our standards and improving our team’s preparation,” he added.
Alongside the Brazilian organization LOUD, Team Secret Whales were the first teams to be eliminated, taking home a $75,000 prize.