By: Jan Marcus Montevirgen
After Fnatic ONIC Philippines triumphed over Myanmar’s Falcon Esports, 3-2, on Sunday, the last remaining Filipino team in the M6 World Championship secured a spot in the upper-bracket finals.
With just two wins away from their first M-series title, the team is also closer than ever to retaining the Philippines’ crown on the world stage.
Despite being undefeated in the prestigious tournament, Duanne “Kelra” Pillas remained focused and humble, choosing not to dwell on the possibility of victory just yet.
Instead, he is keeping his attention on the next challenge.
“Masaya ako syempre pero hindi ko iniisip na two steps na lang eh. Iniisip ko na lang kung sino yung makakalaban namin sa next na laban namin and talagang paghahandaan namin,” Kelra said in an exclusive interview with Tiebreaker Times.
As the tournament progresses, teams are starting to understand each other’s strategies and playstyles more clearly.
For the 19-year-old gold laner, this increased awareness was one of the reasons they faced difficulties against Falcon Esports.
In their upper-bracket semi-finals best-of-five series, FNOP initially dominated, claiming an early match point with commanding victories in Games 1 and 2.
However, the Myanmar squad showcased incredible resilience, clawing their way back into the series with two consecutive wins, tying it at 2-2 and forcing a thrilling Game 5.
In the decisive final game, the Filipino squad regained control, with Kelra (Irithel) seizing the opportunity to deal damage freely during team clashes.
His performance played a key role in closing out the match at 18:55, finishing with an impressive KDA of four kills and five assists.
“Sa pagbasa [ng gameplay] namin, siguro lahat naman [ng teams] basa na eh, depende na lang talaga sa i-draft niyo eh. Syempre, ilang araw na ‘tong M6, imposibleng hindi mo pa mabasa yung kalaban mo. Siguro sa galaw na lang din kaya kami natalo kanina,” he said.
The intense series against Falcon Esports served as an eye-opener for Kelra. As the world tournament advances, opponents will grow more familiar with their tactics and potentially exploit weaknesses in their hero pool.
“Tingin ko [dapat] magdagdag pa kami ng hero. Parang nakokontian ako sa hero [pool] namin. Tsaka disiplina sa game, kailangan ma-disiplina kami.”
