RODEL “Arsy” Cruz has finally closed his chapter with Team Liquid PH after a nearly one-year dominant run, serving as the brilliant mind behind the Cavalry’s stampede.
Yet among all he achieved, one title stood above the rest—not just for its life-changing prize, but for allowing him to fulfill a promise to the person he loved most, his late father.
Life offers dreams worth chasing, but it never guarantees that the people we love will be there to witness their fulfillment. His journey stands as a testament to that painful reality.
A coach who leads with both heart and mind—that is how many have come to know Coach Arsy. But behind that lies the story of a son who honored a promise and a father who sacrificed everything for his family.
A Son’s Promise
Time has a way of slipping through our fingers. Only months after Coach Arsy returned from Myanmar and joined Team Liquid PH, he went on to win two MPL Philippines titles, claim the MSC 2025 trophy, and secure a gold medal at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games.
Of all the titles he won, the MSC 2025 meant the most. It was the triumph that finally allowed him to honor the promise he had made to his father, who has since then passed away and was cremated, by giving him the burial he deserved.
“Bago pa mag-MSC, ang sabi ko, ‘Pa, promise kapag nakuha ko itong MSC, ipapalibing kita. Ako bahala sayo. Dadalhin kita sa pinakamagandang garden. Doon kita ilalagay.’ Noong nanalo na kami sa MSC, doon na bumuhos ‘yung luha ko kasi matutupad ko ‘yung promise ko kay papa. Sayang kung nandito ka sana, mas marami pa tayong pwede gawin kasi may pera na ako,’” he recalled.
But how did everything come to this promise?
Coach Arsy lost his father in 2023 after battling stage-4 diabetes, a painful chapter marked by guilt, as he was unable to personally provide care while his youngest sibling took on most of the caregiving duties.
What hurt him most was knowing he could not even send ₱50 to help with his father’s medical treatment.
“Hindi ko sya napagamot noon dahil wala pa talaga ako pera noon. Ultimo 50 pesos di ko kaya mag bigay noon,” Coach Arsy said in an exclusive interview with SPIN.ph.
His father spent three weeks confined in the hospital battling stage-4 diabetes, eventually losing his right foot.
Back then, Coach Arsy had nothing but dreams and unwavering grit, living independently while surviving on a ₱5,000 salary as an admin staff at a resto-bar in Bacoor, Cavite.
As he had little to offer financially, Coach Arsy kept his head down and just grinded – hoping that even his modest achievements, such as this ‘Best Employee' certificate at work, would make his parents proud.
In the same year, Coach Arsy started to build his legacy in esports by coaching a female team, a small beginning that would eventually open doors and change his life completely.
By the time Coach Arsy was finally able to give back, his beloved father was already gone.
Coach Arsy is a true champion in life after fighting many battles beyond the MLBB stage. Yet he still lives with the regret of not being able to help with his father’s treatment, remembering a time when sending even P50 for medical expenses was a struggle—completely different from the life he lives now, where he can afford things that he once dreamed of.
His win in MSC 2025 did not only help fulfill a promise—it also helped him reconnect him with his family he had long been separated from.
“Nung nakuha ko ‘yun, biglang nag-chat din sa akin mama ko. Sobrang tagal ko nang hindi nakakausap, mga 19 to 20 years ata. Sobrang saya kasi nag-reunite lahat. Nakilala ako ng kamag-anak ko, mga kapatid ko, tapos kinongrats ako nila. Ang dami naka-recognize sa akin, at sobrang saya ko,” he said.
Now financially secured after years of hard work and clinging to a dream when nothing was certain, Coach Arsy chooses to give back—not just to his family, but to communities in need. From sending donations to Myanmar after the catastrophic 2025 earthquake to personally cooking meals for children in orphanages, he continues to touch lives in the simplest ways.
A Father Away From Home
As Coach Arsy chased his dreams in esports, it came with a steep price. In 2024, he took a leap of faith that carried him far from home when he accepted the opportunity of coaching Falcon Esports in Myanmar.
It was a huge milestone in his career, but it came at the cost of missing the birth of his own child—a moment no father ever wants to miss.
“Before pa ako pumasok sa Falcon, buntis kasi ‘yung wife ko noon. So, hindi ko siya nasusubaybayan, hindi ko siya naalagaan. Wala ako sa tabi niya kapag masakit ‘yung tiyan niya or kapag kailangan niya ng tulong. Nasa Myanmar ako. Nagi-guilty ako.” Coach Arsy explained.
When the chance to return to the Philippines and continue coaching Team Liquid PH in 2025 finally came, Coach Arsy grabbed it without hesitation.
Even after returning to the Philippines, he continues to be separated from his family. Coach Arsy stays in Metro Manila while his wife remains far away in Isabela, though he makes an effort to come home whenever his demanding schedule allows.
What hurts him most is that his toddler son, growing up far away, sometimes struggles to recognize him as his father, whether on video calls or whenever he returns home.
“Noong nasa Team Liquid na ako, lumalaki na ‘yung anak ko na parang hindi ako nakikilala. Hindi niya talaga ako nakikilala. Kapag tatapat ‘yung camera, tinataboy niya ‘yung camera. So, nasasaktan ako kasi tatay ako.”
“Nasasaktan ako na lumalaki ‘yung anak ko na wala ako sa tabi niya tapos parang hindi niya ako nakikilala. Kada uwi ko, parang shocked siya na ‘Sino ba ito?’ Kinikilala niya pa ako. Ang sakit sa akin nun, nakakadurog lagi ng puso ‘yun kapag nafi-feel ko ‘yung ganoong bagay,” he opened up.
Being a father far from home was never easy, but every sacrifice speaks volumes about his unconditional love for his family.
After winning MSC 2025, Coach Arsy even considered the idea of retiring, but the thought of his family’s future pulled him back. Instead, he chose to push harder and later on won more championships.
But by the time the M7 World Championship arrived, the relentless grind had finally taken its toll on Coach Arsy and Team Liquid PH, a team that had been pushing their limits for far too long.
“Burn out na kami kasi sunod-sunod na ‘yung tournament namin. Hindi enough ‘yung one week to two weeks na bakasyon dahil doon sa sunod-sunod na tournament namin. Mismong holidays like Pasko and bagong taon, sinakripisyo namin para lang makapag-M7 kami,” Coach Arsy explained.
Though his time with Team Liquid PH was relatively brief, his impact cannot be denied and Coach Arsy looked back on his journey with gratitude.
“Maraming-maraming salamat sa mga sumuporta sa akin, mula una hanggang huli, hanggang sa nabansagan ako na ‘Alden Richards’ ng MPL. Maraming salamat sa inyo. Naa-appreciate ko kayo. Kung hindi dahil sa inyo, hindi ako magkakaroon ng lakas ng loob na tumuntong sa stage,” he expressed.
The titles, the accolades, the moments of glory—these are all fleeting. But the promises he kept, the battle he went through, and the lives he touched define the kind of champion and a man Coach Arsy is.
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