NO ONE could ever deny the grit and determination that Geek Fam displayed in the MPL: Invitational 2022.
Who would've thought that the team that ended up finishing bottom of the MPL-ID Season 10 standings would make a deep run en route to the finals?
And it was no easy task given the level of competition that they had to deal with. Against the likes of the defending MPL-PH champions Blacklist International, reigning MSC champions RSG Philippines, and the current Indonesian champions Onic Esports, the odds were solidly stacked against the Geeks.
But lo and behold, they silenced their critics and doubters. No one expected the team to sweep Blacklist International, prevail against a vengeful RSG-PH, and push Onic Indonesia to a 5-game grindfest.
And they nearly could've been champions, too, had Onic not woken up after being down 2-0.
It was a dramatic twist, and Allen Jedric "Baloyskie" Baloy became overly emotional about their turnaround on Twitter.
Will their MPLI results changed Geek Fam's fortunes?
In one of his tweets, Baloyskie looked back into one of his frustrations while playing with Geek Fam.
Historically, the team has never performed well, with only their 3rd-4th place finish in the MPL Invitational 2020 as their bragging rights.
But with MPL Indonesia, the Geeks were viewed as cellar dwellers. From Season 4 all the way to Season 10, Geek Fam were the pushovers in the scene, with consistent bottom-ranked finished. Not even the arrivals of Filipino imports Baloyskie and Jaymark "Janaaqt" Lazaro could salvage the team in the last MPL-ID season.
Since the team has been historically struggling, teams would ignore practicing against them, which Baloyskie hinted at on Twitter.
"Sana may makipag-scrim na sa amin dahil dito," he said.
While it could be argued that Geek Fam may have benefited from teams that were in rest mode for the upcoming M4 World Championship, the signs of their resurgence have been felt even before the MPLI began.
By the tail-end of Season 10, Geek Fam made a furious run in Weeks 7 and 8, which would have earned them a playoff spot. Many argued that if Baloyskie and Janaaqt were already intergrated with the roster for a longer period, then the pieces would've clicked.
Will they finally show their full potential in the following season? Hopefully Baloyskie and crew can finally reach the playoffs.
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