Asterisk* (formerly PMS Asterisk) is an all-female

Esports Esports, short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, individually or as teams. Although orga ...

organization based in

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

. It was established in 2004 as the first all-female team competing in both ''

DotA ''Dota'' is a series of strategy video games by Valve. The series began in 2003 with the release of ''Defense of the Ancients'' (''DotA''), a fan-developed multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) mod for the video game '' Warcraft III: Reign o ...

'' and ''

DotA 2 ''Dota 2'' is a 2013 multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game by Valve. The game is a sequel to ''Defense of the Ancients'' (''DotA''), a community-created mod for Blizzard Entertainment's '' Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos.'' ''Dota 2' ...

''. The organization led the Asian division for

PMS Clan PMS Clan (previously short for Psychotic Man Slayerz, now short for Pandora's Mighty Soldiers) is an all-female multi-platform online gaming group. It was founded in 2002 to provide a competitive, fun and positive environment for female gamers, ...

, the world's largest female multi-platform online gaming group on

Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the na ...

, PC and

PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...

platforms. In 2015, Asterisk* was relaunched as an Events, Talent Management and Consultant for gaming related projects.

History

Asterisk* was co-founded in 2004 by Dawn "pinksheep*" Yang and Tammy "furryfish*" Tang. The team's first official event was at the 2005 World Cyber Games Grand Finals in Singapore, where the team claimed victory at the event's stage showcase match. Named by retired player Tan "flawed*" Lishan, "Asterisk*" symbolizes the meeting of different personalities and minds, coming together to deliver a stellar performance. Since its inauguration, the team has been featured on

magazines A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combination ...

, leading Esports portals, and television. The team makes a regular appearance at

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

's annual games convention, the Electronic Sports Thailand Championship. They also actively participate in local and regional tournaments, conventions, and forum panel discussions. In March 2010, Asterisk* added a new team to the PMS Asia roster, formerly known as Mineski Girls, led by Rea Lynne "Rheadoo" Aguinaldo. The team was then renamed ""PMSki"", joining the main team at regional events. In 2013, the Asterisk*

League of Legends ''League of Legends'' (''LoL''), commonly referred to as ''League'', is a 2009 multiplayer online battle arena video game developed and published by Riot Games. Inspired by ''Defense of the Ancients'', a Mod (video games), custom map for War ...

sub-unit was formed.

Team roster

Asterisk's roster includes Fanda "puiNiMama*" Bew, Tammy "furryfish*" Tang, Kimberlyn "Kimchi*" See, Eliza "MsJovial*" Ong, Cynthia "w4ndeRz-*" Santa Maria, and Hua Yan "Yan*" Ng . Recently the team added 2 well known international players from Thailand to their roster, namely Siraya "Pinkle" Sunpanich and Tao "Greenbean" Meta as well as 2 new girls from their 2013 trials, Esther "Umiisukii*" Lua and Mary "marypot*". Their 2024 trials also saw a male addition to their all-female roster, Alan "limbei*" Tan.

Team members

Tammy "furryfish*" Tang Zhao En (born 6 October 1984) is the current leader and founder of Team Asterisk*. She is also the current leader of PMS Asia. She goes by the alias "furryfish*" on the

Steam Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...

gaming platform. Her gaming days started with all-girls

Counter-Strike ''Counter-Strike'' (''CS'') is a series of multiplayer tactical first-person shooter video games in which teams of terrorists battle to perpetrate an act of terror (bombing, hostage-taking, assassination) while counter-terrorists try to preven ...

team lmLf- in 1999, where the team clinched titles in all-male divisions. After switching to DotA, Tammy also picked up

Granado Espada ''Granado Espada'' is a Korean fantasy MMORPG developed by IMC Games Co.,Ltd. Originally released in South Korea in February 2006, the English localizations were launched in the summer of 2007 in North America and Southeast Asia. ''Granado Espad ...

World of Warcraft ''World of Warcraft'' (''WoW'') is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in 2004 by Blizzard Entertainment. Set in the ''Warcraft'' fantasy universe, ''World of Warcraft'' takes place within the world of Azeroth ...

and

Starcraft 2 ''StarCraft II'' is a military science fiction video game created by Blizzard Entertainment as a sequel to the successful ''StarCraft'' video game released in 1998. Set in a fictional future, the game centers on a galactic struggle for dominance a ...

. In addition to gaming, Tammy is also accomplished in sports and holds national medals in

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cour ...

and

gymnastics Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, shou ...

. She attended Raffles Girls School and

Raffles Junior College The Raffles Junior College (RJC) was a junior college in Singapore offering pre-university education. The college was founded in 1982, following a separation from the pre-university section of Raffles Institution (RI). Raffles Junior College ...

in Singapore before going on to earn her degree at the

National University of Singapore The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national public research university in Singapore. Founded in 1905 as the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School, NUS is the oldest autonomous university in the c ...

, majoring in

geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and ...

. In her pastime, she enjoys

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

floorball Floorball is a type of floor hockey with five players and a goalkeeper in each team. Men and women play indoors with sticks and a plastic ball with holes. Matches are played in three twenty-minute periods. The sport of bandy also played a role ...

reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...

and polishing her skills in the

Japanese language is spoken natively by about 128 million people, primarily by Japanese people and primarily in Japan, the only country where it is the national language. Japanese belongs to the Japonic or Japanese- Ryukyuan language family. There have been ma ...

. Currently, Tammy is a

Marketing Manager Marketing management is the organizational discipline which focuses on the practical application of marketing orientation, techniques and methods inside enterprises and organizations and on the management of a firm's marketing resources and ac ...

at a local gaming firm. She also writes on her personal

blog A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order ...

. Cynthia "w4ndeRz-*" Santa Maria (born 4 January 1987) is the spokesperson of Team Asterisk*. She is also the co-leader of PMS Asia. She goes by the alias "w4ndeRz*" on gaming platforms. Cynthia graduated with a

Bachelor of Commerce A Bachelor of Commerce (abbreviated BComm or BCom; also, ''baccalaureates commercii'') is an undergraduate degree in business, usually awarded in Canada, Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Ireland, New Zealand, Ghana, South Africa, Myanmar, ...

from the

University of Queensland , mottoeng = By means of knowledge and hard work , established = , endowment = A$224.3 million , budget = A$2.1 billion , type = Public research university , chancellor = Peter Varghese , vice_chancellor = Deborah Terry , city = B ...

in Australia and is currently a Priority Banker at

DBS Bank DBS Bank Limited, often known as DBS, is a Singaporean multinational banking and financial services corporation headquartered at the Marina Bay Financial Centre in the Marina Bay district of Singapore. The bank was previously known as The Dev ...

. Kimberlyn "kimchi*" See Ee Hua (born 22 September 1991) is the commander and strategist of Team Asterisk*. Known for her aggressive play style, she excels in other games such as

Jubeat , stylized as ''jubeat'', is a series of arcade music video games developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan, and is a part of Konami's Bemani line of music video games. The series uses an arrangement of 16 buttons in a 4x4 grid for gameplay ...

and

Beatmania IIDX is a series of rhythm video games, that was first introduced by Konami in Japan on February 26, 1999. ''IIDX'' has since spawned 31 arcade releases and 14 console releases on the Sony PlayStation 2. It is the sequel to the ''beatmania'' game ...

. Kimberlyn graduated from

Singapore Polytechnic Singapore Polytechnic (SP) is a post-secondary education institution and statutory board under the purview of the Ministry of Education in Singapore. Established in 1954, the institution is the first and oldest polytechnic in Singapore and is ...

in Media and Communications and is currently an Air Stewardess with

Singapore Airlines Singapore Airlines (abbreviation: SIA) is the flag carrier airline of the Republic of Singapore with its Airline hub, hub located at Singapore Changi Airport. The airline is notable for highlighting the Singapore Girl as its central figure in ...

. In her free time, she likes going to the movies, playing

mahjong Mahjong or mah-jongg (English pronunciation: ) is a tile-based game that was developed in the 19th century in China and has spread throughout the world since the early 20th century. It is commonly played by four players (with some three-play ...

as well as owning at the arcade. Eliza "MsJovial*" Ong Jie Zhi (born 27 June 1990) usually plays the role of hard carry for Asterisk*, and goes by the alias "MsJovial*". She is a singer, having produced many song covers which are posted on her

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...

as well as on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

. Huayan "Yan*" Ng (born 29 December 1990) rejoined Asterisk* after finding time out of her new job as an Air Stewardess with

. A player who goes by the username of "dhazibi*" is also a member of Asterisk*. Notable retired players include Dawn "pinksheep*" Yang, Lishan "shan*" Tan, Cheryl "sheRicA*" Kong, and trainee Eliza "chEwy*" Tan. In 2013, Asterisk* acquired up a ''League of Legends'' team consisting of players Rachell "Foxy*" Hyori, Jeslyn "Claria*" Kweh, Valerie "Lanjiaobin*" Seng, Cici "Sundae*" Chen and Shuwen "Auvielle*" Yeow, with Jolene "Lustreless*" Poh acting as team captain.

Sponsorships

Asterisk* is sponsored by

SteelSeries SteelSeries (styled as steelseries) is a Danish manufacturer of gaming peripherals and accessories, including headsets, keyboards, mice, controllers, and mousepads. SteelSeries was acquired by GN Store Nord in 2021. History SteelSeries was foun ...

and

Alienware Alienware is an American computer hardware subsidiary of Dell. Their product range is dedicated to gaming computers which can be identified by their alien-themed designs. Alienware was founded in 1996 by Nelson Gonzalez and Alex Aguila, and is ...

. The ladies are spokespeople for the Cyber Wellness campaign in

, as a partner of Singapore's Cybersports & Online Gaming Association (SCOGA) and are campaigning for the recognition of Esports as an official sport in Singapore.

Media appearances

Asterisk* was invited to appear on SteelSeries' widely acclaimed reality gaming show, IronLady III which was held in

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...

in 2010. The show was broadcast across China on NeoTV and to the world on NeoTV's website. The team was subsequently interviewed by the top gaming magazine in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

and also made the front page of myMYM news. Other key media appearances in 2010 include an interview by Singapore's leading newspaper

Straits Times ''The Straits Times'' is an English-language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore and currently owned by SPH Media Trust (previously Singapore Press Holdings). ''The Sunday Times'' is its Sunday edition. The newspaper was establishe ...

in an article titled "New Game Queens" featuring the girls at their home base. Dawn "pinksheep" Yang was also interviewed on two occasions by The Straits Times on Razor TV where she shared what it takes to be a competitive gamer, juggling work, life and gaming; and in Straits Times bookends, where she shared her preferred reads. In 2009, Asterisk* was also featured on

StarHub StarHub Limited, most commonly known as just Starhub, is a Singaporean multinational telecommunications conglomerate and one of the major telcos operating in the country. Founded in 1998, it is listed on the Singapore Exchange (SGX). History ...

in a documentary on Cyber Wellness. In the program, the ladies shared how they balanced life and gaming, as well as a few cool tips for girl gamer wannabes. In 2008, the team appeared on

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

's 8tv live show, Quickie, as a post-SMM Grand National DOTA Competition feature in

Kuala Lumpur , anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , su ...

. In 2007, leader Tammy "furryfish" Tang was also featured in "Shifting Perspectives", a documentary discussing the changing landscape of gaming. This was broadcast on Singapore's leading news channel,

Channel NewsAsia CNA (stylised as cna), which is an acronym derived from its previous name, Channel NewsAsia, is a Singaporean multinational news channel owned by the country's national public broadcaster Mediacorp. It broadcasts free-to-air domestically in Sin ...

, which aired on 21 November 2007 at 8:30 pm. The documentary was produced by The Right Angle. In 2006, Cynthia "w4ndeRz-" Santa Maria was interviewed and featured on "Get Real", a current affairs program discussing her gaming habits. This was broadcast on Singapore's leading news channel, Channel NewsAsia, airing in August 2006.

Achievements

Event appearances

References

External links

* {{Facebook 2004 establishments in Singapore Esports teams based in Singapore Esports teams established in 2004 Dota teams Defunct and inactive League of Legends teams