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In a vlog post by the iconic Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) personality of the Philippines (PH), Setsuna “Akosi Dogie” Ignacio revealed that two of Nexplay EVOS’ players Ken "Kzen" Pile and John "H2wo" Salonga are trying out for RSG PH’s squad. While the iconic MLBB influencer admitted that he is no longer focused on MLBB content and esports, he is still quite informed about the whereabouts of his colleagues who consider him their mentor. Dogie also discussed how he wanted Kzen and the squad to consider finishing school as a backup plan when they are no longer pro players. RSG PH is yet to confirm the addition of Kzen and H2wo to its roster.
Kzen and H2wo looking to join RSG PH’s MLBB roster
Through a vlog post from Dogie’s official YouTube channel, it was revealed that two of Nexplay EVOS’ iconic junglers H2wo and Kzen are trying out for RSG PH alongside a former teammate Kouzen. According to the vlog, things were a bit awkward for Kzen when he stepped into the Kingslayers’ bootcamp, things are starting to go well the more he gets to know his potential colleagues. As for Kouzen, the vlog revealed that he has been reportedly less vocal under RSG PH.
According to Dogie, it may be a bit hard to express themselves at first as RSG PH’s coach Brian "Panda" Lim mainly speaks in English as he is Korean.
“Of course, Panda doesn’t speak Tagalog that much…. Let’s say you can express yourself in Tagalog but find it hard to translate it into English, it is best just to be quiet because you’re too afraid to make a mistake,” he explained.
While Dogie claims that this may be the case, he also thinks that RSG PH is a well-disciplined team.
Dogie expressed the need for orgs to offer pro players a chance to finish school
In the vlog, Dogie also expressed his desire to help Kzen and the rest of the Nexplay EVOS squad to finish their education instead of just focusing on their career as pro players.
“I always tell him, ‘’Kzen, will you be a pro player for a lifetime? When all this is over, what’s your backup plan? Why not while you’re a pro player, you also go to school?’,” stated Dogie.
He claims if Kzen stayed under Nexplay EVOS, he would have given him a chance to go to school and this was for the rest of the squad as well since they are also yet to graduate.
“I already saw the outcome of Renejay [Barcase] and H2wo. What happens if they're no longer in their prime?,” said Dogie.
He compared the squad to Oscar "Sumpak" Romero who is on his way to graduating while also being one of the rising content creators in the PH gaming community.
“Sumpak is now graduating from college. Even if he lost his prime as a content creator, it’s all good because he finished school and he can find a job, you know what I mean?,” explained Dogie.
He expressed how some esports organizations do not offer this opportunity to their pro players, claiming that these organizations only care about who gives them the most benefit.
“At the end of the day, business is business, let’s say only one or two players were popular in the team, they would keep them for engagement, and the remaining four, it’s up to them,” said Dogie.
He expressed that being an MLBB pro player in the Philippines is not a very lucrative career as the salary is way lower than other regions and other esports titles like League of Legends (LoL) PC.
“For me [being a pro player] is not worth it. I wish it was like other regions like the EU and NA where you can stop going to school because in LCS (League Championship Series) when it comes to LoL, the minimum salary of a player there is 3,000 Euro (~180,000 PHP) to 4,000 Euro (~230,000 PHP),” explained Dogie.
The iconic MLBB influencer stated, "You wouldn’t want to be in esports for a lifetime. It’s a risk but they need to finish [their school].”
