Hours before revealing its new roster, ONIC PH announced the release of long-time player Christian “Iy4knu” Manaog and coach Kyle “Ryo” Berceño, Sunday afternoon.
“As they say, all good things will come to an end. We would like to thank ly4knu and coach Ryo for being part of the Onic Fam. May you take a bit of Onic Magic wherever you go,” said ONIC PH in a Facebook post.
“We will never forget your iconic contributions to our MPL title challenges.”
Iy4knu was part of the original ONIC PH squad that made waves in its debut season in Season Four. A former marksman main, Iy4knu played a pivotal role in the organization’s back-to-back MPL finals appearances in Seasons Four and Five.
The 17-year-old pride of Manila, however, seemed to have dropped the ball in the following seasons. He played inconsistently often times which hampered ONIC PH’s success.
With Iy4knu out, Gerald “Dlar” Trinchera is now the only original member of the ONIC PH squad that entered the league in Season Four.
On the other hand, Ryo, who joined ONIC PH back in Season Five, leading the squad to a runner-up finish and fourth-place finish, respectively.
The 22-year-old former MPL champion, however, failed to utilize ONIC PH’s new additions in Season Seven.
ONIC PH suffered its worst season in Season Seven. It fell to a seventh-eight place finish after a five-game series loss to Execration.
