Bren takes to the stage after winning against defending MPL Philippines champs Onic Philippines last Friday. Courtesy: MPL Philippines
MANILA - Multi-titled Mobile Legends: Bang Bang franchise Bren Esports went through the wringer after copping the world championship title in early 2021.
Now, after an overhaul which spanned two seasons, the squad regained their playoff form, thanks to a mix of old and new faces.
It's all thanks to the team's resiliency and open-mindedness, says head coach Francis "Duckeyyy" Glindro.
"I'm just happy they have a really open mind. They actually, they don't like giving up pagdating sa scrimmages. Resiliency is one of their defining characteristics," he said after winning the series against defending champions RSG Philippines.
"So I think during the playoffs boot camp, we'd [work] harder to fix the major issues that I've been seeing for the past couple of weeks and then obviously still have fun. So it's a game after all," he added.
In the team's rise and fall, Kyle "Phewww" Arcangel remained the integral role player in the team's lineup, with Rowgien "Owgwen" Unigo and Michael "KyleTzy" Sayson becoming the team's key off-season acquisitions.
The team's assistant coach, Jian "Pauloxpert" Munsayac later on revealed that Owgwen and KyleTzy's acquisitions felt like "they won the jackpot".
"Actually, to be honest, before the roster lock, we did not expect both players to be in the roster. So we felt like we won the jackpot with those two players, getting them last minute. They're open-minded, they're easy to coach, and overall, willing to learn," Pauloxpert shared.
Bren acquired Owgwen as a referral from Dale "Stowm" Vidor. Duckeyyy shared that he had his eyes on KyleTzy since Season 9, but the kid remained locked in a contract with an unnamed amateur squad.
"Owgwen, it was very easy. We were one player short and I asked [Bren player] Stowm, do you know anyone? He said, si Owgwen. Anti-climactic, I know," he said with a chuckle.
Duckeyyy later on added: "[For] KyleTzy, it was hard really. He was buried in a contract with an amateur team. I'm not going to namedrop. He was my top prospect in Season 9. Unfortunately, the buyout was astronomic for a player of this calibre and all the experience. I'd echo what he said. We hit the jackpot with KyleTzy and Owgwen."
Bren will face Omega Esports and Nexplay EVOS to close out the regular season.