Post-Rampage Interview with PGS Finalists

Rampage 2015, the biggest League of Legends (LoL) event for LoL players in the Philippines has ended. With it came the conclusion to the Summer Split of the Pro Gaming Series. Mineski beat the Imperium Pro Team to claim the title of being the strongest team in the country. But despite the apparently increasing levels of competition in the PGS, the Philippines has once again been locked out of contention for the Summoner’s Cup, as we go another season without a representative in the World Championship Series.

In order to get more insight on the state of competitive LoL in the country, eSports by Inquirer.net conducted a short interview with the players from Mineski.Globe, Imperium Pro Team and Imperium Pro Team – Blue, the teams who competed in the PGS finals.

Nath: Hi! Thank you guys for your time. So how did you find the event?

Mski: As expected, there’s a lot of people and we’re having fun.

IPT: Ayun nagulat ako sobra. Kasi kung icocompare siya sa mga past Rampages, ibang-iba siya. Sobrang lumaki yung community ng LoL PH and yung hype niya ibang-iba sa dati. Kahit natalo kami, sobrang gandang experience para sa amin yung Rampage na yun. Kaya thankful kami na narating namin yun kahit papaano, kahit di kami nag succeed.  (I was really surprised. If you compare this year’s event with the past Rampages, it’s really different. The LoL community in the Philippines got bigger and the hype is much more exciting. Even though we lost, it was still a good experience for us. We are thankful for what we achieved so far.)  

IPT-B: Rampage 2015 was a blast! It was very fun since I got to meet a lot of new people and see some old friends. It was awesome and there was so much people! I’m looking forward to next year!

Nath: It’s good that you guys enjoyed the event. So as you guys already know, we don’t have any representative for this season’s World Championships. That said, what are your opinions on the current climate of competitive League of Legends?

Mski: We think the competitive scene in the Philippines is evolving and there are more teams who are becoming active in tournaments.

IPT: All I can say is marami pang dapat matutunan at mapag-aralan ang mga players dito sa LoL PH. Kahit kaming mga pro players marami pa kaming pagkukulang sa lahat. (LoL players in PH still have a lot to learn. Even us, pro-players, still have some shortcomings.)

IPT-B: LoL PH’s competitive scene is still lacking but it is improving slowly as teams have been practicing more frequently as compared to not having any practice at all.

Nath: I see. So what could you say about the other teams competing in the PGS? Did you guys find it difficult to reach the PGS finals?

Mski: While there is improvement, the teams in the top have remained the same. We want the challenger teams to step-up because we’ll be able to improve more with better competition. Still, it’s a big improvement over previous seasons wherein there have only been two contenders, historically. Now, everyone has a chance to win.

IPT: Kaya kami umabot sa finals ng PGS kasi threat kami masyado sa mga PGS players. Kasi ang alam namin parang kami yung underdogs kasi nga ang team namin ay bago lang. Kaya ayun, nag practice kami ng mabuti para marating yung PGS finals. (We practiced really hard in order to reach the PGS finals and we were deemed as a threat to the PGS players. We know that we are the underdogs because we were one of the new teams that’s why we practiced a lot in order to reach the finals.)

IPT-B: Outside of the top 4 (Mineski, Wargods, IPT, IPT-B), I would say there is a gap between the top 4 and the bottom 4 teams of the PGS. But that gap is steadily declining as there are new teams that show promise.

Nath: Well it’s good to know that there’s some improvement in the level of competition. But what changes or improvements do you think needs to be done in order for us to product better results internationally?

Mski: We think that we still lack sponsors and resources in comparison to international teams. Also, LoL PH needs to improve on its infrastructure and the players themselves need more discipline.

IPT: Kung sa LoL PH naman siguro walang problema. Nasa ugali na din ng mga players yan. Kung gusto nilang umangat, paghihirapan at gagawin nila lahat na makakaya nila. (There is no problem with LoL PH, it’s in the player’s attitude. If they want to succeed, they have to work hard for it and do everything they can.)

IPT-B: First, we need better internet connection. Second, coaches need to be able to guide the players. Third, a gaming house and salaries so that players will be able to treat playing LoL competitively as a full-time job.

Nath: Indeed. I hope that your suggestions are taken into consideration by both the community and by people who wish to invest and see the competitive scene here in the Philippines grow. So before we end this interview, what can we expect from you guys next season?

Mski: You can expect a better Mineski. We might acquire a sister team to have regular practice with. And if ever, we’re hoping that we can acquire a gaming house to have better quality practices.

IPT: Well hindi natin masasabi kung ano mangyari next season. Siguro hintayin na lang natin kung ano talaga ang mangyayari. Di ko alam kung ano mangyari sa IPT-Blue kasi next season di na pwede humawak ng two teams ang isang company so yun nga, wait na lang natin kung ano mangyayari. (I think we should see what would happen in the next season, we can’t say for sure. I don’t know what will happen to IPT-Blue because a company is not allowed to handle two teams next season. All we can do for now is wait.)

IPT-B: We still have a long way to go. We still need to improve on many aspects especially since we might be in the GPL next season. You can expect us to be a much stronger team next season.

And that about wraps it up! While our season may be over, the local scene’s competition just keeps getting better. Continue to support Mineski, IPT and IPT-Blue next season as they strive to bring the Philippines to another World Championship appearance!

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