In an exclusive interview with Tiebreaker Times, Filipino-Norwegian Carl “Carvi” Tinio revealed that it was in the Philippines where he first learned how to play Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
After his family moved to Norway when he was around eight years old, he got his first taste of MLBB action while on vacation in Bohol.
“The first time I had a vacation back here in the Philippines since moving to Norway, my cousins were playing this one game. I think it was in 2017 or 2018, and it was kind of new too. They were like, ‘Oh, you should play this game, you know. It’s so good,'” he shared.
He admitted to being bad at the game initially, and he got heckled a lot by his cousins and his uncle.
“One time my uncle took my phone from me for like an hour or two, and then he didn’t let me play because I was so bad,” he recalled.
But that didn’t stop him as he got hooked into the game and continued playing when he returned to Norway, aiming to become better at it.
He continued improving until he heard the news of Bren Esports, a full Filipino squad, winning the M2 World Championship.
That motivated him even further and opened opportunities to enter the competitive scene.
“When I heard about Bren winning, I said to myself that I shouldn’t be left out in my region here. So I tried hard for a bit and then noticed that I seemed to have some skills. I joined Røgue Esports, which was a very good team. That’s where Deus Vult found me.”
He joined Deus Vult in August 2023 and won three championships, including the MLBB Continental Championships Season 2 title, earning him the right to represent the CIS region in the M5 World Championship.
And he is now fully supported by his Filipino family in the Philippines.
“My whole family from Bohol is watching and supporting me a lot. I just want to say thank you, and I love you all. My uncle is here too to be my guardian because I’m a minor, and my mom doesn’t feel safe when no one from a close family is with me. So he’s here with me, taking care of me,” Carvi said.
The uncle who once stopped him from playing MLBB has now become one of his most avid supporters.
“I think he was a little bit surprised, maybe that I, the worst one in our family in playing MLBB, qualified for M5. He had a problem himself too with his life, so I wanted him to have a little bit of fun with me and experience how it is to be here in M5. I want to give back what my family gave to me.”
Carvi’s Deus Vult finished the Group Stage with an impressive 2-1 win-loss record, losing only to the Indonesian side Geek Fam in a close 2-1 affair. They hope that Home Bois lose in their last group stage match against The Ohio Brothers to qualify for the knockout stage.
A win by the MPL Malaysia champions will will force a best-of-1 playoff match between Deus Vult and Geek Fam to dispute the last slot to the knockout stage.
