Brecon underdogs stun top seeds to win national title in London

The Powys club travelled to the capital for its first ever LAN, the term used in esports for major competitions where players compete together at a physical venue in front of a live audience, with the action also broadcast live on television, online and on radio platforms.

The Dragons returned to Wales with the trophy after beating number one seeds BAES Buzzards, representing British Army Esports, 4-2 in the Grand Final.

S.E.A. Dragons were the only Welsh club and the only civilian esports organisation competing, although every member of its squad qualified through their connection to the wider Armed Forces community. Forces News subsequently described the Dragons as the “civilian underdogs” following their victory.

The event, organised by BFBS and EPIC.LAN, formed part of a wider day of gaming and Armed Forces activities at the RAF Museum. Around 3,000 people attended throughout the day according to BFBS, with cadet forces and military music also represented and the esports competition broadcast across BFBS platforms.

For S.E.A. Dragons, reaching London had already represented a significant milestone. While most of the club's competitions take place online, larger esports tournaments can culminate in LAN events with players, coaches, spectators, broadcast teams and production all brought together at one venue. The club had spent around three months attempting to reach the final through four open qualifying events. S.E.A. Dragons eventually finished second overall, setting up another meeting with BAES Buzzards, who had finished qualification as the number one seed.

The two sides were already very familiar with each other after repeatedly meeting during the qualifying campaign. The Buzzards also entered the final with considerable individual experience, including Bluey, a former professional Rocket League player who has previously represented PSG Esports and FC Barcelona.

S.E.A. Dragons' team consisted of Lyon, Ritzy, MrSpud777 and Kiza990, led by coach Connor “Faizye” Chittock and Team Principal Patryk Białowąs. Although the club itself is civilian, the competition was open to members of the wider Armed Forces community, including MOD civil servants and immediate family members of serving personnel and veterans.

The Dragons went into the best-of-seven Grand Final as underdogs and initially looked to be heading for defeat when BAES Buzzards won the opening two games. It left the Brecon club 2-0 behind against the tournament's top-ranked team, meaning the Buzzards needed just two more victories to become champions.

What followed was a complete reversal of the final. S.E.A. Dragons held their nerve and won four consecutive games, turning a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 victory and securing the championship at the first in-person event in the club's history.

Founder and Team Principal Patryk Białowąs said: “This is one of the proudest moments we've had as a club. We came to our first LAN as the only Welsh club and the only civilian organisation in the competition, with very few people expecting us to win it, and we're going home as champions.

“At 2-0 down against the number one seed it would have been very easy for the final to get away from us, but the team showed exactly what they're capable of. To win four games in a row and complete that comeback, in that environment and against that level of opposition, was incredible to watch.

“We started S.E.A. Dragons in Brecon with the ambition of creating opportunities and building something that could represent Wales at a higher level. Seeing our players lifting that trophy in London at our first LAN makes all the work that has gone into the club worthwhile.”

There was also a distinctly Welsh moment during the final. S.E.A. Dragons operates an internal recruitment policy of ensuring every competitive roster contains at least one player eligible to represent Wales, with MrSpud777 filling that role in the BFBS team.

As the Dragons' comeback gathered momentum, he became a favourite with sections of the crowd. Supporters began chanting “you've been harvested by the Spud” following his plays and jokingly proclaimed him the unofficial “Welsh Minister of Defence” as the Welsh club closed in on the championship.

Coach Connor “Faizye” Chittock said the players' composure after falling behind had been crucial.

“I'm incredibly proud of the players. We knew coming into the event that we weren't the favourites and going 2-0 down in the final made the challenge even bigger, but nobody panicked,” he said. "We stayed composed, trusted how we wanted to play and took it one game at a time. To then win four in a row against the top seed says a lot about the mentality of this team. We've worked towards this across the whole season, so to finish it by lifting the trophy at our first LAN together is a brilliant way to end it.”

Player Ben Lyon was considerably more emotional immediately following the victory, saying: “Unbelievable. I'm literally speechless. The amount of hard work we've gone through for the semi-finals and finals is immense. I'm proud of both of them.”

The championship adds another milestone to what has been a rapid rise for S.E.A. Dragons since the organisation formally launched in Brecon at the beginning of 2025. Initially established to provide greater esports representation for Powys, the club now competes across several games in Welsh, UK and European competitions.

The London success also came less than two weeks after its Counter-Strike 2 team won the UKIC League Season 11 Challengers Division, giving the Brecon club two significant UK-level titles in the space of a fortnight.

This victory was different, however, because it was the first time S.E.A. Dragons had competed together at a physical esports event. Ritzy travelled from Gibraltar to join the squad in London, with travel and accommodation provided to finalists as part of the competition.

The players left the RAF Museum with the BFBS Pro League championship trophy and commemorative gold coins, alongside £500 in prize money. More significantly for the club, its first opportunity to test itself in front of a live audience had ended with a national championship. Białowąs added: “We've had a lot of success online and we've started getting some significant results at UK level, but there's something completely different about actually being there with your players on stage, a crowd around you and everything coming down to that moment.

“We've spent a lot of time talking about wanting to take a club from Brecon and see how far we can push it. To look around and see S.E.A. Dragons on that stage at the RAF Museum in London, and then see the players lift the trophy, was a pretty special moment.

“Hopefully there are plenty more days like this ahead, but we'll always be able to say our first ever LAN ended with us becoming champions.”

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