Fire Base: An Interview With Raised By Wolves’ Ryland Wong

Raised By Wolves is best known for being one of the strongest Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams in the country, representing the Philippines in the latest edition of the Asian Cyber Games in Selangor, Malaysia last May 8-10, 2015.

In this interview,we talk to Raised by Wolves’ captain, Ryland Wong, about his involvement in the local scene, his thoughts on the current CS:GO metagame and more!

Rave28: Hi! Please introduce yourself to the public.

Mr.Wong: I am Ryland Shane M. Wong, former member of Teams FGW, Falcons, BaronAce and now member of Raised By Wolves. I am currently the captain, in-game leader and sniper for the team.

Rave28: When did you start playing the game? Did you have any experience on other FPS titles?

Mr.Wong: Yes I have been playing FPS games since I was 17. I played Half-Life and all versions of CS from the beta days to today’s CS: GO. I also spent some time playing CrossFire, Point Blank and Assault Fire as well.

Rave28: What is the feeling of being hailed as one of the best CS: GO teams in the country today?

Mr.Wong: It is an honor and a great feeling that we are able to do the things that we love because we want to be at least one of the very best, the few chosen ones.

There’s also great pressure that rests on our shoulders, mainly because you want to do well when representing your country. You need to make sure that your country will look good in the international scene.

On the metagame

Rave28: What do you think about forcing buys in the 2nd round after losing a pistol? Do you think that it is an effective strategy?

Mr.Wong: Well as an in-game leader, I usually watch what the opponents are buying especially when watching demos of their games.

When they strongly use submachine guns (SMGs) on the 2nd round after winning the pistol then I go for a force buy.

However, when I see in their past matches that they go for a full rifle+kevlar+helmet buy then I usually go for the full eco.

And to answer the question: Yes, it is effective especially if you have set strategies for it.

Rave28: Do you think buying SMGs in the early rounds is a good idea, especially against the armor+Tec-9/CZ-75 combo?

Mr.Wong: Yes, as long as it’s not going to be a full SMG buy from the team. One or two guys with SMGs is good enough and it will help the team’s economy a lot in the long run.

Rave28: Just recently, we have seen the proliferation of shotgun plays on the competitive scene, especially on maps such as Inferno, Train and Dust 2. Do you think that it is a viable alternative to the SMG plays in the early rounds?

Mr.Wong: Yes it is, it will give the team a lot of leeway in the economy and these weapons are just as cheap as most SMGs.

All it takes to play it properly is good positioning and timing.

On international tournaments

Rave28: Considering that you are poised to represent the Philippines for the World Championships: Asia (WCA), what do you think is your chance against teams such as Skyred, MVP.Karnal and Tyloo among others?

Mr.Wong: Well those teams are pros, they are being paid to play the game and they put up like tons of hours on the game. On the other hand, we got jobs to attend to so we have less playing time in comparison to other Asian teams.

However, we were showing better results in our practice sessions and even though we haven’t got the chance yet to scrim against most of the teams, we think that we can actually beat them with a little bit more push and dedication.

Thus far, we were able to have scrims with Vietnamese side Skyred and I am positive that my team can handle the pressure this coming WCA.

Rave28: What do you think about the steps taken by local gaming organizations such as Mineski to improve the PH CS: GO scene? Do you think it will help in making the country a CS powerhouse in SEA again?

Mr.Wong: Local organizations hosting these kinds of tournaments will certainly boost CS: GO in our country, because more players will know about the game and will enjoy simply just by watching the game.

I just hope other organizations will follow Mineski’s steps.

Rave28: What is the attitude that Filipino players should adopt in order to thrive in the international scene? Do you have any messages to the aspiring FPS players out there?

Mr.Wong: First of all you really need to have these 3D’s, it’s a must: Dedication, Discipline and Desire. You need to understand that it is a team game and thus, you need to be loyal to your team which will form a bond that will hold you guys together during hard times.

Whether you win or lose, you need to stick together no matter what and to get better in the game. You must never give up and you need to believe that you are the best before other people will start to believe in you.

Rave28: Okay, now this wraps up the interview: Do you have any shoutouts to the people out there?

Mr.Wong: First of all, I would like to thank the whole FPS community in the Philippines, especially to the whole Wolves and Falcons family, to all my friends in Baguio, particularly my best bros Von, migz, temo, alfer, ross, justin and maco who always think that I am #1.

Then, I would like to pass a shoutout to all my teammates who never stopped believing in my abilities.

In addition, I would also like to thank Mr. Robins (the CEO of Mineski), as well as to my Uncle Bernie and Auntie Cris for always being there whenever I need them.

Finally, I would like to send my regards to my Mom and Dad who always support what I love and special thanks to my wife Karla Tania and my daughter Aphrodite Io who always always never stopped loving and believing in me.

Rave28: Thanks for your time and patience!

Mr.Wong: Thank you too!

Now that the CS:GO World Asia Championships will commence later this year, will these guys be able to deliver the country back to the top of the SEA CS scene?

We will find out soon enough.

Until next time!

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