Joshua “Ch4knu” Mangilog has been synonymous with the roaming role in MPL Philippines since entering the league back in Season 4.
After finishing fourth in his first two seasons, Ch4knu’s team consistently finished in the top three from Season 6 to Season 9, which was one of the reasons why he was inducted into the Hall of Legends in 2022.
However, after a disappointing 5th-6th place finish in Season 10 and skipping Season 11, Ch4knu seemed like a shell of his former glory when he played in MPL PH Season 12, which later resulted in his demotion to Omega’s MDL squad for the following season.
Therefore, it wasn’t surprising for Ch4knu to feel the bliss in his return to the MPL PH stage in Season 13, leading Omega to a much-needed sweep of Blacklist International and avoiding early elimination.
“Proud lang ako sa sarili ko kasi kaya pa,” said the soft-spoken Ch4knu when asked about his thoughts on his performance against Blacklist.
During the series, Ch4knu’s MVP form piloted their impressive comeback in Game 1 before using his Mathilda prowess to spearhead Omega’s Game 2 victory and garner another MVP citation.
He admitted that he did not expect to make an MPL PH comeback so soon due to recent changes in priorities as he ventures into adulthood.
(C) MPL PH
“Di ko inexpect na maglaro sa MPL this season kasi nag-aaral ako. Parang focus muna ako sa pag-aaral tapos idedevelop muna ang sarili ko sa MDL. Tapos mga ilang linggo dahil sa mga talo, tinry nila ako sa line-up. Dun na nag-decide yung team na iangat ako sa MPL,” Ch4knu shared in an exclusive interview with Tiebreaker Times.
And he is slowly flourishing as a solid shot caller, one that Omega needs to salvage their meek playoff hopes in Season 13.
“Last season kasi meron talaga kaming shotcaller eh. Siya yung talagang nilagay dun. Last season, taga-guide lang ako. Ngayon, ako na yung nilagay. Pinractice ko siya kaya natuto na ako,” he said.
His improvement is sparked by something that not many of his fans would expect to be the source.
“Naging disiplinado ako saka seryoso sa buhay. Parang naging motivation ko rin yung pag-alis nila E2max,” he explained.
“Parang nainggit ako kasi di ba na 2-0 nila lahat ng teams this season. Eh nung kami magkakakampi, laging talo-panalo.”
People come and go, especially in the professional esports scene, and Ch4knu has long accepted that.
Contrarily, he used it as motivation to improve and become a better version of himself, one that leads his team to victories.
