By: Jan Marcus Montevirgen
It took seven weeks for Team Liquid Philippines to secure their playoff berth in the MPL Philippines Season 14 after a commanding sweep of Blacklist International on Saturday.
In an exclusive interview with Tiebreaker Times, Jaypee “Jaypee” Dela Cruz revealed that the team faced several challenges during the early stages of the regular season, which contributed to their delayed playoff qualification.
The 25-year-old roamer emphasized that the team struggled to adapt to the current meta, as they were more accustomed to the rotations from the utility-jungler era.
He explained, “Siguro ang naging problema namin noong mga early laban naming regular season, nagkaka-problema kami sa drafting phase tapos sa mga play style namin kase nga naging assassin [meta]. So kailangan din naming mag-iba ng dalaw sa mid. Kase yung utility jungle, medyo kabisado na namin yung gagawin.
“Tingin ko nagkulang lang kami sa adjustment tapos yun nga mga early laban sa mga draftings din.”
Despite facing skepticism regarding his skills as a roamer since last season, Jaypee chose to focus on self-improvement and the team’s development rather than dwelling on negativity.
His commitment to growth was evident during his back-to-back flawless gameplay against Blacklist, where he provided crucial zoning and plays for his team. He concluded the opening series with an impressive record of 11 assists while playing as the hero Tigreal.
“Sanay na rin po ako sa mga bash. Ang ginagawa ko na lang po ngayon is focus po ako sa pag-iimprove ng gameplay ko tsaka sa team kung paano kami mananalo,” Jaypee remarked.
Looking ahead to the playoffs, Jaypee expressed confidence that the team could defend their title as MPL Philippines champions and represent the country once again in the upcoming M6 World Championships in Malaysia, provided they gain the momentum they need.
“Siguro kailangan namin makuha yung momentum papasok ng playoffs kase kahit hindi naman kami umabot sa upper [bracket] ngayon, basta ready kami sa playoffs, kaya namin makapasok pa rin sa worlds,” he concluded.
