The girls, the glory... and the videogames: How 5-man US gaming squad conquered South Korea's million-dollar gaming world and are now considered HEARTTHROBS by legions of adoring female fans

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Videogamers are celebrities in Seoul which hosts tournaments in stadiums that are attended by thousands
America's Cloud 9 is one of the top teams, women flock to get a chance to speak to the five team members
Aged between 20 and 25, they grew up playing in their bedrooms and now win millions in Seoul
The bizarre world is laid bare in a new five-part Vice docu-series which also meets the cosplaying cheerleaders

Published: 22:12 EST, 29 March 2015 | Updated: 01:40 EST, 30 March 2015

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There was Marlon Brando, James Dean, Brad Pitt.

But in 2015, the term 'heartthrob' has taken on a new meaning.

Once confined to their dimly-lit basements, videogamers are now flocking from America to South Korea where they are lauded as 'studs' - and win millions.

They sit on the stage of a 50,000-strong stadium in Seoul playing League of Legends.

And the female attention is unrivaled.

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A whole new world: Women dress as cyber characters to laud the world's top videogamers at mass tournaments in South Korea

Stud: Hai Lam, 22, from Michigan, is one of the most celebrated gamers in the world and attracts swarms of women

Champions: Cloud 9 has won two Leagues Of Legends seasons and reached the top 8 - out of millions - in the Season 3 finale

Tasha, from Spiral Cats, tells Vice's five-part docu-series that female cosplayers are scantily-clad because that is their superpower

Strategy: If she looks beautiful, she says, her allies will be more likely to help her in battle

Scantily-clad Korean women dressed as cyber characters flood the stands in the hope that they might bump into Cloud 9, America's celebrity gaming squad.

Documenting the surreal and exclusive world of eSports in a new five-part docu-series by Vice Media, reporter Matt Shea joined the millions of hysterical fans at this year's League of Legends final.

Besotted, Shea meets Spiral Cats, four stunning women who professionally dress up as virtual reality characters.

But when Cloud 9's Hai Lam walks past, he loses every inch of their attention.

They come in their droves: League Of Legends has 67 million monthly users - more people than there are in France

Superstars: The American team consists of (L-R) 20-year-old An 'Balls' Le, 21-year-old William 'Meteos' Hartman, Hai Lam, 25-year-old Daerek 'LemonNation' Hart, and 21-year-old Zachary 'Sneaky' Scuderi

Battling it out: Teams that make it to the League Of Legends semi-final have already won $150,000 but could get $1 million

The cheerleaders: The tournaments are attended by professional cosplay team Spiral Cats who say beauty is their superpower

Lam, 22, grew up in Grandville, Michigan, and studied media at the University of Michigan.

All the while, he would spend his nights fighting his way to become one of the top 10 gamers in the world.

His teammates are 20-year-old An 'Balls' Le, 21-year-old William 'Meteos' Hartman, Hai Lam, 25-year-old Daerek 'LemonNation' Hart, and 21-year-old Zachary 'Sneaky' Scuderi.

Rocketing to the upper echelons of this fanatical world, they have joined the lauded Chinese team OMG, which features a player who goes by the name Cool.

Samsung White, Samsung Black and Starhorn Royal Club are just a few of the other star squads which struggle to walk through a crowd in Seoul without courting attention.

Spiral cats: The girls have a dressing trailer at the site to transform into the characters then spend a day posing with fans

Vice reporter Matt Shea discovers they are courteous with fans and outsiders but flock to Cloud 9 when they get a chance

South Korea's video-gaming scene is unrivaled, as the activity accounts for 90 per cent of addictions nationwide

As Vice notes, League Of Legends has 67 million monthly users, which is more than the entire population of France.

They travel in their droves to South Korea, the epicenter of the scene - where, Vice discovers, gaming accounts for 90 per cent of addictions.

Most of the commentators for each match are American, Australian or British.

Thousands of people sit in the stands and first each team member's head shot is projected on a screen.

As the battle commences, the players' tense faces are shown.

They could win big or lose everything.

How it works: Thousands of people sit in the stands and first each team member's head shot is projected on a screen

High stakes: As the battle commences, the players' tense faces are shown. They could win big or lose everything.

The game is also projected on a second screen and the audience has different colored lights to show who they are supporting

Champions: China's Samsung White squad are one of the most successful gaming squads in the world

eSports | VICE | United Kingdom

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