by Alyxis Gabeligno, Cindy Cesar and Stacy Mendoza
CODM: Domination
XCEED KURZO’s historic win is a first for Mindanao - a win after another. After the dominance they have shown in the regional scene, XCEED KURZO continues to show that they are the rulers of Call of Duty: Mobile. The tournament was a best-of-three series in the eliminations, and they were off to face the number 1 seed in the tournament— the Lyceum of Subic Bay Sharks Unlimited. KURZO, on the other hand, ranks 3 in the seed. The difference between the ranks did not intimidate KURZO as they dominated their matches and resulted in a 3-0 win securing a spot in the finals
KURZO was set to face the San Agustin Gold Eagles of the University of San Agustin (SAGE) who beat them on their first face-off during the group stage. Although KURZO dominated the first few minutes of the game, they still fell short of claiming the first hardpoint map. On the second map, KURZO reminded everyone that they still have the fighting spirit as they won the search and destroy, which is their strongest game mode, and tied the series. They maintained their energy as they entered the third map in a very close fight of 3-2 making them lead the series 2-1, one win away from being hailed as national champions. SAGE did not back down as they showed how champions play and claimed the fourth map tying the scores 2-2 and extending the series to a deciding fifth map. Despite the nerves and pressure KURZO is having, they continued to show that it is indeed COD:Mindanao by showing authority on the Search and Destroy Express map with a 7-2 score win against the defending champions and claimed victory in the tournament.
“We were losing gunfights to SAGE, what we did is we supported the points and focused on utilities,” said XCEED Faker in the post-game interview. “Sobrang saya po namin… Ang tagal po namin itong pinaghandaan. Ilang tournament na yung sinalihan namin para lang dito sa Alliance Games Championship,” XCEED Moyy added. Hard work, perseverance, and grit were the team’s secret weapons. From joining various tournaments within the region, winning and losing them along the way, led them to this very moment.
Embodying the spirit of Magis, Ed Adrian “ADR” Gulle, Ed Adrielle “Faker” Gulle, Veonne “Bimbo” Bahian, Mohammad Yusuf “Moyy” Moscana, Robby “Robby” Soliva, and Minrey “Tails” Malinis who is also hailed as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, are the 2024 Alliance Games Season 4 Call of Duty: Mobile champions - proving the esports scene in the Philippines that Mindanao is, indeed, a powerhouse.
HITS-V MINERVA: One Shot, One Kill
HITS-V MINERVA snatched the crown and title as the champion of Alliance Games (AllG) Nationals Season 4 as they conquered the Grand Finals with a rampaging score of 3-0 against Panthera Esports of Systems Plus College Foundation. HITS-V MINERVA proudly represented not only XCEED, but they were also a proud representative of Mindanao as they competed for the title at NU Laguna last 17-21 July 2024. They played harmoniously, supporting each other which helped them reach their goal, and their unity as a team was proven by their plays as they wiped out and claimed victory towards the end of their journey.
“As Brent quoted during our scrims, ‘always resort to team chemistry over talent.’ We had to build up chemistry despite the time, and because of the time we spent together on team building and bonding, as a team, we improved. And I think that’s how I can define my moment as the MVP of the Year.” stated Kidd during an interview. Their drastic improvement became one of their biggest contributions to this win, which made it even more worth the bragging rights.
Consisting of Brent "Shelby" Pagara who played as a Mid Laner, Tristan "Yukii" Daroy as a Gold Laner, Kryssan "Keyg but Diff" Molion as a Roamer, Chadwick "CHAD." Ruzgal as the Jungler and lastly the diamond of the season; Arl "KIDD" Abonitalla who is hailed as the Most Valuable Player, are indeed, Alliance Games 2024’s champions in the Land of Dawn.
Leaving a Mark with Pride: AcadArena Awards 2024
XCEED has really shown who they are from head to toe - with achievements such as Breakout Alliance Organization of the Year last 2021, to their year-long hiatus and finally, they have achieved Outstanding Alliance Organization of the Year - Mindanao Category, along with Minrey “Tails” Malinis, winning Students Esports Athlete of the Year and Arl “Kidd” Abonitalla walking away from the event as Most Valuable Players of Call of Duty: Mobile and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. This shows that XCEED is determined to prove that their advocacy is worth a fight, and that gaming is #NotJustPlay.
“I felt genuinely happy and surprised that we won this award, since XCEED went through a one year hiatus before my term. In order for us to be back on track, that achievement proved that we have been recognized for our hard work, with my team. The fruits of our labor have been harvested,” Former Executive Director Juliana Alincastre stated. Despite the lapses, she knew that with the new administration and she hopes to see those improvements take action and further extend her help in contributing to its legacy.
On the contrary, Malinis has excelled in the realm of competitive gaming with such grit and tenacity to where it was shown through his journey as a player representing XCEED KURZO. “For me, my dream was to enter the esports sector as a player - ever since I started playing Defense of the Ancients since I was a kid, I knew that playing became an essence for me to learn, compete and most importantly, win.” Stated Malinis. He then explained that as a student-athlete, one must learn the technicalities of the game they wish to enter, and most importantly to take a break as often as you can, as this can harm the mindset a player wishes to attain. “When you win a game, for instance, it really is a big achievement as it proves that what you’ve worked hard for, either as an individual or a team, is bearing fruit. But that doesn’t stop there - to reach the top, it’s important to know and accept failures from time to time; that’s how I and my team were able to win, aside from going with the flow.”
With the event coming to a close, AcadArena, the organization behind the advocacy of #NotJustPlay, holds true to their motto as a forefront of the national esports sector. Honing one’s skills not just as a student, but as a player, is important to reach the summit. Recognizing that gaming is not really just sitting on your gaming chair and playing all the time, and that it takes everything, including mindset, to reach whatever goal one wants to achieve - that is what XCEED advocates for - balanced, as all things should be.