ECHO superstar Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno and RSG Slate PH rising star John “1rrad” Tuason showed nothing but respect for each other after their epic clash in the MPL Philippines Season 11 playoffs, which put the entire ML:BB community on the edge of their seats on Friday night.
Despite being bothered by an injury to his left ring finger, KarlTzy still put on a show for the defending world champions. However, the RSG Ignite standout eventually stole the spotlight as he led his side’s comeback from a 1-2 deficit en route to a stunning 3-2 victory.
1rrad was elated to finally get one over the two-time world champion and his squad after suffering a tight loss against the same team during the final week of the regular season.
“Kanina, parang naha-hype ako. Sobrang saya ko kasi yung player kasi na yun sobrang tinitingala ng mga players, so natalo ko siya, ayun sobrang sarap sa feeling,” 1rrad said during the post-match press conference at the SMX Convention Center.
The former Z4 Esports jungler said that he banked on his mechanical skills to outclass the ex-Bren Esports star because he knows full well that the latter has the edge in terms of shot-calling and positioning.
“Marunong kasi ako mag-aral ng player. Kumbaga, si Karl nakita ko sa kaniya sobrang talino niya mag-laro. Na-feel ko na napakalakas niya mag-shotcall, napakatalino niyang pumwesto,” 1rrad bared.
“Pero ako nakita ko yung butas sa kaniya na mahina siya sa mechanics, so doon ko dinaan yung laro,” he continued.
Meanwhile, KarlTzy praised 1rrad’s phenomenal play, especially on the Lancelot – KarlTzy’s signature hero that even earned an exclusive M-series skin – in Game Four where he performed a Hail Mary play in the 23rd minute.
1rrad disrupted ECHO’s Lord take, which opened up the opportunity for Nathanael “Nathzz” Estrologo’s Minsitthar to steal the objective.
“Malakas po siya. Commended ko siya don sa Game Four tapos siguro lang din hindi lang ako 100 percent kanina,” said KarlTzy after the loss.
That play was indeed the turning point of the series as the pride of Balanga, Bataan, sustained his momentum in Game Five, where he led RSG Slate PH’s 12-5 win that completed their epic series comeback.
ECHO will face top-seeded Bren Esports in the lower bracket semifinals on Saturday at 1:00 PM, while RSG Slate PH will take on Blacklist International in the upper bracket playoffs at 5:00 PM.
