Holy Week also means extra time to play.
The Philippine esports scene is in full swing this 2023 and we're only one quarter in. Here's a look at the winning moments IRL so far.
Victory! ECHO wins it all in M4
The Orcas have broken the code in the all-Filipino finals of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang World Championships. That's a win for the Philippines, and a win for the local competition scene. What's a better motivation for everyone than knowing the top team can be beaten and every squad has a shot at the title?
Light of the House of Highlights
ECHO Philippines would not have risen to the top of the world like they did if they didn't have a country manager like Mitch Liwanag. And it's only fitting that she was hailed the MPL Executive of the Year.
Missing voice: Rest in peace, Rob Luna
The Philippine MLBB scene will be missing the voice of shoutcaster Rob Luna. He didn't just lend color to plays witnessed by everyone, he also gave shout-out worthy assists to teams behind the scenes.
Wild Wild West of MPL Philippines Season 11
You know it's an exciting competition when the standings get jumbled and you're not too sure what's going to happen next. Case in point: Bren Esports making a resurgence as the top squad in the regular season.
PBA Bakbakan: An intriguing scenario
It's an interesting mix. Get a professional basketball player, a gaming influencer, a student, and a fan and you got yourself an MLBB team. It's a great way of showing that hey, these worlds can come together.
Defending the gold: SIBOL for the SEA Games
The esports squads repping the Philipines in Cambodia this May have been unveiled. And you know the pressure is on for the country to defend its MLBB gold. Plus, there's plenty to look forward to, such as a women's division in MLBB, along with squads in Valorant, League of Legends: Wild Rift, and Crossfire. These may not be the same teams we've witnessed in 2019 and 2021, but they might be able to take medals in those too.
WANNABE: ITZY in MLBB
So this happened. Moonton has collaborated with game developers like those of Tekken, with giant franchises like Star Wars, and with anime studios like those of Jujutsu Kaisen. Now they're delving into K-pop. Earlier last month, K-pop group ITZY became a global ambassador for the MOBA game. It's interesting how they would try to incorporate the genre into the game.
Team Secret in VCT 2023
The organization is mostly known as the European squad in DOTA2. They did open a Valorant division a few years back and welcomed the roster of the Philippines' Bren Esports. Now they're locked in for Champions Tour 2023: Pacific League Regular Season and it looks like the game is another promising avenue for Filipino gamers to showcase what they got.
Counter-terrorists win: Counter-Strike 2 is here
The limited test for the first-person shooter is open and it is promised to be an "overhaul to every system... of the C-S experience." Will it truly be the replacement to CS:GO in the competitive scene? We'll learn soon enough as Valve is expected to release further details in a few months' time.
Coming soon: M5 in the Philippines
The Land of Dawn is coming to the Philippines later this year. And after having three consecutive world champions hailing from the Pearl of the Orient, we'd like to say it's about damn time. Peenoise and winners, we can have them both.
So that's just a few of the things happening in the esports scene. While locking yourself up in the room and sticking to the screen is tempting, don't forget to soak up the sun once in a while.