Setsuna “Dogie” Ignacio stands out as one of the most prominent figures in the esports scene, having been selected as part of the MPL Philippines Hall of Legends and being one of the most influential social media personalities in MLBB.
He is considered one of the most successful esports personalities in the Philippines and has been a solid supporter of the MPL PH since Season 1.
However, he informed members of the press that he has issued an ultimatum to MINANA heading into Season 13 after consecutive seasons of heartbreak.
“Last hurrah ko na sa side ko to talaga. Like if they didn’t perform, idi-disband ko yung buong esports side ko talaga,” shared Dogie on what he said to the players of MINANA.
“Eto na yung last run namin and hindi ako binigo ng mga batang to.”
MINANA (3-4) is currently in the middle of the standings, placing fifth with 10 points. They finished the first half of the season ahead of last season’s runner-up, Blacklist International (2-5), who currently has seven points.
Their performance included an impressive 2-0 sweep of M4 World champions ECHO and close matches against fellow world champions AP.Bren and Blacklist International.
“Kaya rin last hurrah kasi una budget wise, ako yung nagpapasahod sa kalahati ng team. Sa MDL din ako nagpapasahod. Bootcamp, kuryente, lahat,” revealed Dogie on why he issued the the ultimatum to the team.
“Playoff sa MPL, ayun lang talaga ang hinihingi ko. And ginagawa nila yun. Gusto kong madala nila yung MINANA sa playoff. It’s not me that they’re representing. It’s them.”
Dogie further shared that he spends roughly 300-400k per month on expenses supporting MPL and MDL teams.
Apart from sharing 50% of MINANA’s MPL salaries, he also covers everything for the MDL squad, including bootcamp expenses.
“Sa kinikita ko sa vlogging sa youtube at sa Facebook, tinatabi ko yun para sakin. Ipon for my family. Yung kinikita ko sa brand deals ko, that’s for them,” Dogie added.
Despite issuing the ultimatum to the team, Dogie remains a father figure to the players.
He admits that he runs teams based on emotions and not merely on results and he values the connections he’s built with the players and the whole team.
“Kaya ko gino yung mga gig na hindi dapat i-go para sa kanila.
“Kasi nung media day, dapat ile-lay off na yung lima. Nung pumunta ako ng bootcamp, kalahati ng team umiiyak. Pati si coach umiiyak. Sakin ayokong masira yung future nila. Sumugal sila dito, isusugal ko rin sarili ko sa kanila. Ayun yung sakin. Gusto kong maramdaman nila yung sensation pag nasa stage ka eh. It’s the best sensation ever pag nasa MPL stage ka. Natry ko na, gusto kong matry din nila,” recalled Dogie.
Although admitting that continuing would mean more financial risk for himself, Dogie is willing to continue the grind as long as his players prove themselves in the league.
“Sakin challenge siya eh. Kaya ko sinisipagan hindi lang para sakin kundi para sa kanila. I’ve been in the esports industry since 2012 so alam ko yung struggle ng mga tao sa loob ng esports. Mas lalo na ngayon. Super lala na ngayon. We’re seeing esports organizations laying off some people, mas lalo na sa NA at EU. It’s a struggle market for us right now kaya naiintindihan ko talaga si MINANA. Sakin hindi siya burden,” he said.
“Sipag at tiyaga lang.”
Similar to his former players Renejay “Renejay” Barcase, John Paul “H2wo” Salonga, and Tristan “Yawi” Cabrera, who are some of the most successful esports athletes in the country, Dogie also wants his current players to reach the level of success he is enjoying.
“Kung ako naabot ko to, gusto ko maabot rin nila. Kung sino yung mga nasa circle ko, kung ano kinakain ko, gusto ko kinakain rin nila. Kung ano yung narating ko, narating din nila. Ayan lang talaga sakin, sama-samang pamilya kaming aangat.”
At the end of the day, he only wants what’s best for the team.
