[BEHIND THE SCREEN] VICTORY IN DEFEAT: The Joshua Dela Serna Story

At the age of eight, Joshua knew the meaning of defeat.

Joshua Dela Serna didn’t suffer bruises by running around the streets of V. Mapa. Neither did he experience loss through patintero or taya-tayaan. He tasted defeat in an unusual way.

“Noong bata pa ako, uso na ang text at jolens pero playstation na nilalaro ko,” Joshua shared.

Joshua, known to his playmates as Owa, spent most of his childhood in front of the television playing videogames. He wasn’t the Mario-type of player or the adventure and quest-oriented games lover. He wanted the punches, the kicks, the action and the thrill of competitive titles — and the gruesome defeat that came with it.

“Hilig ko yung multiplayer, basta ‘yung laging may mga kalaban, yung may natatalo. Uso kasi dati kapag natatalo ‘yung mga kaibigan mo ay papalitan — change the loser — pero hindi ako nagpapapalit kapag natatalo ako,” Owa laughed as he recalled the days when his cousins would outplay him in Street Fighter, a fighting game for the PlayStation (PS) console. “Wala naman sila magagawa kasi syempre sa bahay ko naman ‘yun.”

Owa paused for a while.

“Only child lang kasi ako kaya bawal ako lumabas. Ayaw ako paglaruin sa labas kaya ‘yung mga kaibigan ko ang pumupunta sa bahay namin,” Owa admitted. He had an unconventional childhood brought about by his family situation at the time.

He wasn’t allowed to go out of their house especially when he just took a bath, particularly during the peak hours of the afternoon. He wasn’t allowed to go out into the streets and mingle with other kids. Owa said that while it was his father who imposed this rule, it wasn’t because his father was overbearing.

“Nag-aalala lang sa akin ‘yun. Only child nga kasi ako,” Owa stuttered.

But because Joshua’s father barred him from the experiencing the usual “go out and play” childhood, he found a safe haven — a “refuge” — in video gaming.

“Lumaki ako ng wala kasi sa tabi ko ‘yung nanay ko,” Joshua paused.  “OFW siya sa Japan.”

What Owa thought to be just a mere pastime slowly grew on him. It even began taking a toll on his health. The everyday routine of playing games in front of the television caused his vision to blur. However, Owa’s father didn’t stop him from playing, as he understood that it was one of the few things that made his son forget the sadness of a broken family.

Owa eventually outgrew his PS console and learned to play computer games at the age of 11. He started with Real Time Strategy (RTS) games such as Battle Realms and Red Alert 2.

He became content in playing these games until he got hooked on one of the most popular video gaming titles in the country at the time in Counter-Strike (CS). It was here that Owa saw the other side of virtual gaming: gambling.

“First year high school pa lang nakikipagpustahan na kami sa Counter-Strike,” Owa confessed. However, it wasn’t the money that kept him going in the game. It was something far more valuable to the young player.

“Ang habol ko talaga noon ay experience at hindi ‘yung pera o kumita. Kasi ‘yung pinsan ko ganoon eh; kahit na lugi na kami kunwari na-zero kami sa one to 15 o hindi kaya’y natalo kami, rumerebanse pa kami,” Owa explained. “Pera lang ‘yan eh, ‘yung experience hindi nababayaran ‘yan. Talagang laban lang, laban lang talaga.”

Owa and his team went on to compete in local computer shops in their barangay and soon enough they found themselves going to other areas for competitions. They enjoyed playing against other kids their age. Things soon changed however, when they began to fight unfamiliar foes in different locales.

“Noong dumadayo kami ng Counter-Strike sa mga shop ang yaya sa amin ay DotA. Sabi ko, ano ba ‘yang Dota na yan? Bakit ‘yan lagi ang  yaya sa amin. Kesyo mataas daw ang pustahan,” Owa recalled. “Mga 500 per team ang panalo dati. Mataas na iyon. Pinakamataas na naranasan namin ay 1,500 isang team.”

Defense of the Ancient or DotA is a customized map for Warcraft 3, a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game that pits two opposing teams of five with the goal of destroying the opposition’s central structure.

“Mga 5 point something pa lang ata noon (DotA uses three-digit numbers for its version coding). Sinubukan namin maglaro, tapos puro ano pa nga lang binibili namin, puro recipe pa lang. Tissue paper pa.” Owa said. He started playing DotA in 2006, the time when Dota was slowly gaining popularity in the country.

Owa learned the ins and outs of the game by playing in a small computer shop in V. Mapa which only had six computer units.

“Bale 3 on 3 lang kami, tapos dapat mga hapon nandoon ka na dahil hanggang alas-dose lang ng gabi ‘yung shop. Dahil ‘yung iba nandoon ng hapon at nakaupo na ay hindi na talaga tatayo,” Owa shared.

Owa brought his competitive mentality to the world of DotA. His team coped and adjusted from firing carbines and AK 47s to maneuvering mythical creatures and heroes.

“Puro talo pa sa simula sa DotA. Ang laging tumatalo sa amin dati ay sila Wootz (James Inabangan). Doon ko nakilala si Wootz. Matagal ko nang kilala ‘yun, kalaban ko na talaga dati ‘yun,” Owa said as he recalled their early slump in DotA. “Ganoon pa rin kami kahit natatalo. Ang ginagawa namin kami ng ibang kalaban, humahanap ng ibang strategy.‘Yung ibang tinatalo namin pero kapag naisip namin na maganda ‘yung strategy nila ay gagamitin namin.”

Infographic by: Pawiee Falsis

Owa enjoyed competing against other people. He savored the defeats and rejoiced in victories. What started as a “refuge” soon became a world of opportunities. He took his mind skills and critical thinking into the virtual world. Everything seemed to be going great for the growing teen until Owa fell into the realms of game addiction.

“Pagkatapos sa school doon (computer shop) na kaagad ako dumidiretso. Doon na ako nagpapalit ng damit at nagpapadala na lang ako sa Papa ko ng tsinelas,” Owa confessed. “Ka-text na namin ‘yung bantay ng shop noon bago matapos ang klase. Magpapareserve kami ng sampu (computer units).”

Owa’s addiction worsened when he entered his third year of high school.

“Tumigil ako sa pag-aaral nang third year highschool ako. Desisyon ko lang din ‘yun…” he trailed off as he recalled one of the defining moments of his life. “Patapos na ang klase noon, clearance na. Pumasok ako sa library, pagpasok ko nandoon silang lahat. Eh, ayaw ko nang nasasabihan ng mga teachers ko kaya hindi na ako tumuloy. Lagi akong late dati. Palitaw ba. Tapos wala pang excuse letter.”

Owa said that his father got sick of reminding him about his responsibilities. He shared that his father may have been too lax in disciplining him as he was the only child. There was even a point when his father told him not to attend classes anymore because he only had two hours of sleep due to playing on the computer overnight.

“Wala eh, wala na rin silang nagawa nang umayaw na ako mag-aral. Kahit si Mama, alam niya rin na may pagkukulang siya,” Owa shared with a dramatic change in his tone.

There was no turning back for Owa from that point on. He committed his time to playing DotA and slowly ventured deepeer and deeper into a more competitive environment. The ones who used to be his prime enemies in DotA eventually became his comrades. It was a “normal” thing back in those days that enemies eventually become teammates, Owa says.

In 2008, Happy Feet (HF), one of the formidable DotA teams in the Philippines at the time, had to create a separate squad. It was Wootz who gave way from the main HF  team and formed Happy Feet 2 along with Julius “Julz” De Leon, Ralph Richard “RR” Penaño, John “Jojero” Roxas and  Joshua “Owa” Dela Serna.

“Wala kaming praktis-praktis dati. Ang ginagawa namin pustahan kami ng kaniya-kaniya. Magkakahiwalay kami tapos magbibigayan nalang ng impormasyon o brainstorm sa tournament. Ito malakas tong hero na to, sabihan lang ng pambato mong hero — wala pang masyadong plano-plano dati,” Owa explained.

Like Owa’s early time with Dota, HF2 had their fair share of defeats and losing streaks particularly when they joined the Mineski Pro Gaming League (MPGL), the biggest video gaming league to date in the country.

“Noong unang sabak namin sa MPGL, Happy Feet 2 pa lang kami noon. Hindi pa nga kami umabot ng day two, day one pa lang ng tournament laglag na kami,” Owa laughed.

It was Owa’s determination to take his gaming skills to the next level that defined him as a gamer. He practiced every day, played against fellow DotA players, watched local tournaments and followed certain professional players’ playstyle.

2009 was Owa’s red-letter year. Owa and company capped off the year with an explosive performance in the Philippine competitive DotA scene after winning local tournaments and claiming consecutive titles in MPGL.

He wasn’t even aware that he was part of a growing industry: eSports. eSports or competitive gaming is “the play of mind sports and video games competitively”, as defined by the Philippine eSports Organization (PeSO).

“Wala pa sa isip ko ‘yung competitive play. Hindi pa ganoon ‘yung pananaw at paningin ko noon eh. Ang gusto ko lang manalo at magka-experience. Gusto ko nga natatalo ako, kasi may natutunan ako. Ganoon kasi ‘yung style ko eh,” Owa shared.

Owa and HF2 went on to dominate the local Dota competitive scene until they reached the peak of their career — the time when no teams were at par with their level of skill. Soon enough, after their lustrous performance, they were picked up and sponsored by Mineski and became Mineski.HappyFeet.

In 2010, Mineski received a direct invitation to play and compete against top international DotA teams in The International (TI) in Cologne, Germany. TI1 was the inauguration of DotA’s sequel, Dota 2. The event was the biggest tournament in eSports up to that point with its overwhelming $1 million prize pot.

While it was Owa’s first competition abroad, for the hungry competitor, it was like a usual competition in the computer shops of V. Mapa.

“Noong na-invite kami sa TI1? Sa akin wala lang. Hindi ko alam na ganoon kalaki ‘yung prize pool at ganoon kaganda doon kaya hindi ako excited. Noong nandoon na ako ang una kong napansin ‘yung lamig. Tapos ang laki pala noong prize pool,” Owa recalled.

At the same time, he went back to school to finish his secondary studies. However, he didn’t finish his fourth year in high school as he was too busy preparing for their tournaments. He was forced to take up the Alternative Learning System (ALS) by the Department of Education which he finished in 2013.

While Mineski didn’t place in TI1, Owa went back home with one of the biggest lessons he has ever learned: discipline.

From that point on, Mineski climbed the ranks of the Southeast Asian (SEA) region. In 2011, they topped the Malaysian juggernauts in The Game Xpo (TGX) to bring home the first international title for professional Filipino video gamers. In 2012, they won the Razer Dota 2 tournament challenge, once again beating the Malaysians they faced a year before. They placed second in the Asian Cyber Games (ACG) after falling short against their Malaysian rivals. In the latter part of the same year, Mineski performed well on the podium of Sendi Mutiara Multimedia (SMM), placing third.

Despite their success, 2012 ended poorly for Owa. Mineski soon disbanded after most of its members left the team.

“Immaturity nalang din ng lahat iyon. Immature pa kaming lahat, hindi namin piang-uusapan ‘yung mga problema sa team. Wala kaming communication tungkol sa problema. Nakakalungkot din kasi magkakaibigan talaga kami,” Owa admitted. It was one of the saddest times in his life.

Owa is the longest standing player of Mineski to date. He disclosed that he did receive offers from other teams but he rejected them immediately out of love and loyalty for Mineski, particularly the man behind the company, Ronald “Roro” Robins. Roro is considered the father of Philippine eSports and for Owa, a second father.

“Minsan mas nakakausap ko pa nga si Roro kaysa sa tatay ko. Mas nasasabihan ko pa siya ng mga problema ko.”

Owa’s family and relatives know that he was a star in the Philippine eSports scene, but neither his father nor his relatives watched him play on the center stage.

“Alam nilang sikat ako, pero ‘yung tatay ko hindi pa nanunuod ng laro ko. Simple lang kasi siya, hindi man niya sinasabi pero nararamdaman ko naman ang suporta niya.” Owa admitted that his relatives still urge him to go back to studying and take up a degree for his betterment.

2014 didn’t improve for Mineski Dota. The team underwent roster changes and  were embroiled in a few controversies. It was also the year that they dropped into Class A from Class S division of MPGL.

2014 was somebody else’s year. It was the year that the Korea-based Filipino squad, Rave Dota, showed dominance and power not only in the Philippine scene but also in the SEA region.

They managed to grab the MPGL VI SEA title as well as  the prestigious Korean Dota League (KDL) Season 3 crown. Rave, dubbed as the Overseas Filipino Gamers (OFG), made their way into the global stage and firmly supplanted the Mineski image as the premier Philippine representative in the world of Dota 2.

In January this year they competed in the Dota Asia Championships (DAC) in China where they placed 5th/6th, taking home at least P6.6 million in prize money — the highest payout that a Filipino team has achieved.

When asked if he felt jealous about the achievements of Rave in recent months, Owa took some time to answer.

“Inggit? Oo nakakaramdam ako ng inggit. Mataas na rin ang narating nila,” Owa admitted.

Amid the slumps and struggles that Mineski face, Owa remains confident in his skills, even saying that he doesn’t fear any particular player in the Philippines at the moment and he edges against them in terms of experience.

But when I asked him if Mineski can bounce back this year, I was faced with a different Owa.

“Ka… ka… kayanin… Kakayanin namin magbounce back. Hindi kami papayag na walang mapuntahan tong mga sakripisyo namin. Susubukan namin magbounce back,” he said, stuttering.

He took a deep breath and said with a certain fire in his eyes: “Gusto kong maabot ‘yung alam kong deserving na status para sa akin. ‘Yung deserving sa paghihirap ko. Isang malaking event. ‘Yun ang gusto ko.”

It was a bolder and more confident Owa. He wasn’t the eight-year-old boy who didn’t want to get replaced on the console after losing against his cousins nor was he a trigger-happy CS player. At 21, Owa knew the meaning of defeat — not only in the virtual world — but in real life.

But after every defeat, Owa has continued to learn and improve. With every defeat, Owa has come out stronger than before.

This time, he sets his sights not only for greatness in the realm of Dota 2. He has known the value of hardwork, of discipline and of sacrifice. While he will continue to play the game, Owa has vowed to also honor the desires of the people who have been behind him for his entire journey.

“2009 pa ng huling umuwi ang mama ko. Naiibsan na lang din ‘yung homesickness ko sa kaniya kapag naglalaro ako. Pero ngayon, gusto ko makapunta ng Japan, gusto kong puntahan ang nanay ko. Hindi pa kasi ako nakakpunta sa Japan. Wala pa sa isip ko noon ‘yung ganoon kasi happy-happy pa. Ngayon ko lang narealize...” Owa said with teary eyes. “Mama ko ang inspirasyon ko sa paglalaro.”

“May balak pa talaga akong bumalik sa pag-aaral, hindi pa talaga huli ang lahat. Gusto ko mag-culinary arts.”

Photo banner by Juan Carlo Candido “Jucasa” Saquin

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