By: Arjohn Roxas
After last playing in the MPL Philippines during Season 14, Nowee “Ryota” Macasa finally made his return in Week 4 of Season 16 — still donning the same colors.
In an exclusive interview with Tiebreaker Times, Ryota opened up about the challenges he faced during his stint in Indonesia, particularly the language barriers that affected his in-game communication.
“May time na may plano yung kakampi ko tapos hindi ko maintindihan. Nung time na nasa Indo ako, parang nahihirapan din yung translator ko, si Kairi. Pag may plano kami, ita-translate niya pa sa’kin, kaya medyo hassle nga,” Ryota recalled.
Joining a champion-laden squad, he admitted that he initially felt intimidated and afraid to make mistakes, prompting him to reset his mindset to overcome the pressure.
“Nahihiya pa ko nung una, tsaka natatakot ako mag-call na baka mali yung cina-call ko. So after nung week na ‘yun, tinanggal ko sa utak ko yung ganung mindset. Iisipin ko lang na reset lahat, wala pang achievement lahat,” he said.
Having played in another region, Ryota noticed a clear difference in the competition level compared to his last stint in MPL PH.
“Siguro mas naiba, parang mas nadalian ako ngayon (Season 16) kasi sobrang tataas na rin ng IQ ng player. Tsaka ngayon mas more vocal ako sa in-game unlike Season 14,” he shared.
When asked if fans can expect to see him onstage again, he simply said:
“Siguro, kapag patuloy ko lang yung pag-iimprove.”
Finding their rhythm, ONIC looks to continue its winning ways as it faces TNC Pro Team on Sunday, September 14.
