Oheb says move to Team Liquid PH ‘best risk’ he ever took
At the age of 16, Kiel “Oheb” Soriano hopped on a bus from Tarlac to Metro Manila to pursue his dreams of becoming a professional Mobile Legends: Bang Bang player – in what would be one of the largest risks he ever took.
As his career took off, so did his reputation as a “bad boy”—he was at the time fined and suspended for a game for flipping the middle finger.
Two MPL championship titles, one world championship title, three world championship appearances and a ton of challenges later, he faced the inevitable: Blacklist International dissolved their MPL Philippines team as 2025 kicked off.
Of course, there were options for “The Filipino Sniper.” He was first seen with Aurora’s royal duo, Danerie James “Wise” Del Rosario and Johnmar “OhMyV33nus” Villaluna on multiple occasions, sparking rumors that he would join them at the northern lights.
There’s also Saudi Arabian organization Twisted Minds, which embraced most of his teammates – Blacklist International’s Salic “Hadji” Imam, head coach Kristoffer “BON CHAN” Ricaplaza and assistant coach Mark Jayson “ESON” Gerardo and Stephen “Sensui” Castillo.
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But another possibility opened when he was spotted in one of Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno’s streams, shocking the MLBB community.
“Bago ako lumipat ng TLPH. And ang first decision ko was kumampi sa dati kong teammates. Kasi andoon ako sa comfort zone ko. Then nagtry ako magtanong-tanong sa mga kakampi ko rin and sa dating coach ko and ang sabi nila is lumabas ako sa comfort zone ko kasi doon ako magi-improve pag lumabas ako sa comfort zone ko,” Oheb told Esports Inquirer.
Oheb took the gamble and headed off to Team Liquid Philippines – a move that didn’t seem possible at first glance given the past rivalry between the squad’s core players and Oheb’s former team, Blacklist International.
“Nung pumasok si Kiel (Oheb) sa’min, he said one thing to me: Iiwan daw niya lahat ng parang alam mo ‘yun, ‘yung immaturity daw niya. And nagkatotoo na nga. Sobrang matured dito ni Kiel aa TLPH,” Mitch Liwanag, TLPH Country Head, said shortly after they won the MPL Philippines title.
Oheb fit the team like a glove – much to everyone’s delight. From an unexpected tandem with KarlTzy, his on-stream banters and translating these “good vibes” to game results, it seemed like a new life breathed into Oheb when he left for TLPH.
His presence was a catalyst to the squad coming back to its former glory: getting the top seed and denying ONIC PH of a three-peat. And he was reaping the results, even getting the regular season MVP award.
The stats said it all: “The Filipino Sniper” led the league in kills for Season 15 (5.21 kills per game) and ranked 5th in KDA at 6.06.
Now, Oheb is back on top, and he has the daunting task of getting the coveted Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid-Season Cup trophy with his teammates, the only thing missing from his trophy cabinet.
“Sobrang excited ako kasi makakasama ko ang napakalakas kong teammates,” he gleefully shared to Esports Inquirer.
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