Angelo “Pheww” Arcangel was the first to admit that he underperformed in Bren Esports’ first half assignments in the MPL Philippines Season Nine.
The 22-year-old support veteran looked like a shell of his old self in the first four weeks, struggling to connect with the team’s newest additions which resulted in a 1-5 standing heading into the fifth week.
Criticisms about Pheww’s performance poured on social media. And it poured hard, with some even asking him to a take step back from the game temporarily and worse, to retire.
“Di ko na lang inisip yung sinasabi nila e pero totoo naman yun na nag talaga underperform ako nung mga unang games ko,” said the two-time MPL Philippines champion, who also holds the all-time league record for Savages with three.
“Inisip ko na lang na ipagpapatuloy ko pa rin yung ginagawa ko,” he added.
Indeed, it was a tough couple of weeks for Pheww.
But his love for the game still prevailed — soldiering on as he tried to make things work with his new teammates. Eventually, seeing the team’s second group pick up the organization’s first win in Season Nine at the expense of Omega Esports lit a fire in Pheww and the other main five members.
And from there, things finally changed.
“Nabuhayan kami kasi naisip namin na meron pa rin kaming chance na makapasok ng playoffs e tapos parang na-challenge kami don sa Team B nung naglaro sila kaya ginalingan pa namin lalo,” said Pheww.
“Tapos ayun nga, nung nabago na yung mindset namin na hindi kami sumunod sa isang galaw lang, parang kaniya kaniyang galaw tapos tiwala na lang sa isa’t isa ayun parang gumanda yung laro namin,” added the M2 world champion.
On Saturday night, Pheww proved his doubters wrong, playing his best game so far in Season Nine to power Bren Esports’ massive 2-0 upset of the top-ranked ECHO.
The former Cignal Ultra star played a pivotal role in shutting down Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomucemo’s Fanny in Game One, delivering three kills, four deaths, and eight assists on Eudora in the 19-11 win 16 minutes and 41 seconds. Then, in Game Two, Pheww notched a game-high 15 assists along with three kills and an assist on Yve to seal the sweep.
Was it his way of proving his doubters wrong?
“Oo naman.”
Indeed.
