Smart Omega, the professional esports team backed by Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), recently unveiled its new Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) lineup.
In a virtual press conference held Monday night, Smart Omega welcomed former players from Execration, namely Billy Jazha "Z4pnu" Alfonso, Renz Errol "Renzio" Cadua, Kiel Vj "Kielvj" Cruzem, Grant Duane "Kelra" Pillas, Patrick James "E2MAX" Caidic, and Joshua "Ch4knu" Mangilog as members of its official roster for MLBB.
Smart Omega will also develop their four rookie players Robert Remar "Hito" Candoy, Dian Felix "Dian" Cruz, Dean Christian "Raizen" Sumagui, and Romeire "Allidap" Padilla to complete its 10-man team, together with their coach, Jaime "Pakbet" Abalos.
"We are extremely excited about this development in the Smart Omega team. These young men have shown their passion, determination, and heart in their gameplay, and we are more than happy to support their growth and development in the professional esports industry," said Jude Turcuato, FVP and Head of Sports at PLDT and Smart. "We would also like to thank our former players who have decided to move on with their careers. We wish them all the best," he added.
The new Smart Omega esports athletes will be housed in the Smart Omega boot camp, complete with fully functional facilities to help them prepare for future tournaments. Smart has also provided the players with Smart 5G devices and a Smart 5G Rocket WiFi device to help them sharpen their skills and train seamlessly on the telco's superfast 5G network.
Z4pnu also shared that they are grateful to be part of the new team. "Thank you for welcoming us in this team. We will do our very best. For us, this is just the start of our journey and we promise to do the best that we can," Z4pnu said in Filipino.
"To our fans, we hope that you will continue to support us in this new team, we will still be together, fighting in tournaments. And I know that you all will be there. Thank you," he added.
Following their sensational win at the recently concluded Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Southeast Asia Cup 2021 (MSC), the Kings of MSC - the former Team Execration -- managed to do a Cinderella run, staging a major comeback to book a Grand Finals spot, where they faced undefeated fellow Filipino squad Blacklist International. The MSC featured some of the best squads from the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand.
The move is the latest by Smart that underscored the company's commitment and support for the Philippine esports community by partnering with game creators and esports tournament organizers here and abroad and actively playing a role in the Philippine Esports Organization (PESO), the official National Sports Association that governs and develops esports for the over 43 million gamers in the country.
"We believe that Filipinos are indeed among the best esports athletes in the world. Through our carefully crafted prepaid promos and our strongest LTE and 5G networks, we hope to help casual and professional players develop their skills and talent to reach greater heights. We also hope that our new Smart Omega team members can serve as an inspiration to Filipino MLBB casual players and fans to help them pursue their passion for esports," said Jane J. Basas, SVP and Head of Consumer Wireless Business at Smart.