Vincent “Innocent” Banal already had one foot out of the door before joining the Selangor Red Giants six months ago.
Coming off a couple of embarrassing campaigns with TNC in the MPL Philippines, the young gold laner was nearly ready to turn his back on his professional career if his move to MPL Malaysia didn’t pan out the way he had hoped.
While Innocent showed flashes of his potential during his tenure with the well-renowned Filipino esports squad, his inability to adapt to the intense pressure played a major factor in TNC’s struggles, leading to his departure after just two seasons.
(C) MPL PH
“Hindi kasi ako na sa-satisfy sa performance ko kasi nga ‘yung pressure hindi ko ma-handle,” said Innocent, recalling his time with the Phoenix Army. “Yung mga pagkatalo namin syempre may mga errors ako dun.”
With his heart heavy and his dreams on the line, the pride of Lubao, Pampanga gave himself one last shot at redemption—joining the up-and-coming Red Giants for the MPL Malaysia Season 13, in a bid to jumpstart his suddenly declining career.
“Nung pagkasali ko nung SRG, sabi ko kailangan mabigay ko na lahat ngayon kasi once hindi mag-work ‘to, ayoko na talaga,” shared Innocent.
Freed from the relentless pressure of competing in the strongest ML:BB region, he thrived under lower expectations, ultimately unleashing his true potential and eventually taking MPL Malaysia by storm in just his first season in the league.
Innocent, along with his former TNC teammate Mark “KRAMM” Rusiana, transformed a promising Selangor squad into a formidable force, culminating in a league-best 9-0 record by the end of the elimination round.
(C) MPL PH
From there on, there was no stopping the Red Giants as they crushed every opponent that came their way in the playoffs, eventually taking down HomeBois in the best-of-seven finals series en route to their first-ever MPL Malaysia title.
When the dust settled, Innocent, who had endured criticism from Filipino fans during his time in the MPL Philippines, stood at the forefront of Selangor’s dominance, winning both the Regular Season and Finals MVP awards.
After averaging only a 2.59 KDA with TNC in the MPL Philippines Season 12, Innocent made a significant leap, boosting his numbers to 11.26 in the MPL Malaysia Season 13.
“Without the two [KRAMM and Innocent], this championship wouldn’t be possible,” said Red Giants head coach Michael “Arcadia” Bocado.
As if his success in MPL MY wasn’t already enough to silence the doubts—both from fans and within his own mind—Innocent rose even further, powering Selangor to a feat no other Malaysian squad had ever achieved in the past.
Up against reigning world champions Falcons AP.Bren, Innocent and the Red Giants did the impossible—outlasting the Filipino powerhouse in Game 7 of the ML:BB Mid Season Cup 2024 grand finals in the Esports World Cup on Sunday.
(C) Esports World Cup
The win gave Malaysia, a region that has been struggling to breakthrough on the international stage over the years, its first-ever major title in the ML:BB scene–a landmark victory that will forever be remembered in history.
But more importantly for Innocent, it gave him the courage to continue.
It gave him a second chance, one that renewed his passion and commitment to pursue what he loves the most—reigniting the dwindling fire that almost put an end to his career.
“Masaya ako kasi ang daming bashers na nagdududa sa akin eh. Gusto kong patunayan sa kanila na kahit na eight-placer ako [sa MPL Philippines], kaya ko pa ring mag-improve at ito na ‘yung resulta.”
