When ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio is not taking names inside the ONE Championship Circle, he is busy bolstering his rank in the popular 5-on-5 MOBA game, Mobile Legends.
And believe it or not, “The Passion” actually sees plenty of benefits from playing.
“A lot of people are saying that it’s addictive, but I believe it’s all about staying disciplined in playing. There’s always a time for everything and I am aware of that,” Pacio said.
“It’s actually beneficial to me. It keeps my brain sharp because you have to make a good strategy to win.”
Pacio just started playing Mobile Legends last year, the same time that he captured the ONE Strawweight World Title in Manila at ONE: Roots of Honor.
Besides the enjoyment he gets from playing the game, it also helps him stay disciplined when it comes to eating and watching his weight.
“It also helps when I am in the middle of training camp and I am trying to reduce weight because I am so enamored by it, I forget all about the delicious food that I want to eat,” he joked.
The mechanics of Mobile Legends are fairly simple. Two opposing teams, with five players each, battle each other to reach and destroy the enemy’s base. Heroes are grouped into six different roles: marksman, assassin, mage, support, fighter, and tank.
Pacio, who plays by the name of “Ben10”, is an avid fan of marksman and fighter heroes.
“You know, sometimes I see myself as an athlete when I play because even though I struggle at first, I still keep on pushing to win. It sees how well you can coordinate with your team, because no matter how good you are, without a good strategy, you’ll probably lose,” Pacio said.
“Granger, Alucard, and Dyroth,” Pacio said, naming his favorite heroes.
“I play like how I compete inside the ONE Circle — I do everything to win.”
The game is so popular in the region that it was featured in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
Although the popularity of the game is soaring high with different high-level tournaments being held around the globe, “The Passion” is not about to change careers.
“I know that it is growing at an amazing rate, and of course there’s ONE Esports, but for me, it’s just a pastime,” Pacio said.
“I have no plans of pursuing it professionally, but each time I play, I give it my all, like how I am in the ONE Circle.”
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