WHILE SETSUNA "AKOSI DOGIE" IGNACIO normally ignores negative comments, the MLBB streaming sensation didn't hesitate to respond to a fan who alleged that the fan-favorite team had a "toxic environment", despite what they termed as players' strong "utang na loob" to Dogie.
Upon seeing Dogie's comment, the fan immediately deactivated their account. Dogie decided to copy and paste an extremely long response in his personal Facebook page.
"Nag deactivate yung kupz eh pero ung pinost ko! Renejay Barcarse Allan Catu John Paul Salonga Tristan Cabrera Dale Lopez kayo magsabi kung nag sisinungaling ako!" said the MPL-PH Hall of Legends Inductee.
Dogie questioned the allegation that it was only loyalty that was keeping his players ionside the team.
At the end of his supersized post, he wrote, "Kung tingin nila kaya nila mag-champion sa ibang team GO! Hindi ko naman sila pinipigilan. Sinasabe ko sa kanila na ang growth nila ang pinakaimportante huwag nila ako isipin at isipin nila sarili nila."
Earlier on in his lengthy rant, Dogie said, "Never kong sinabe sa kanila na dapat may utang na loob sila sakin at never ko yun sinabe sa kanila kase buhay nila yan at lagi nilang isipin ang sarili nila bago ibang tao," he wrote.
To further defend himself, he even discussed Tristan "Yawi" Cabrera's potential move to Bren Esports.
"Ako nangialam sa kanila? After Season 7 pa lang gusto ko na sila lumipat at mag explore. Si Yawi lang ang nag kusang nakipag-usap sa akin at ako pa tumawag mismo kay [Coach] Duckeyyy if gusto niya si Yawi kase gusto niya doon lumipat," said Dogie.
He added: "Pero nag-stay si Yawi hanggang Season 8 pero after noon pinapili ko sya kase kinausap ko [si] Onic at ECHO at ECHO ang nag-go sa kanya."
Is Dogie responsible for the team's decisions?
As the long rant went on, Dogie shifted his attention to the team's coaching methodologies — another aspect of the team that has often come under fire from the fans.
Does Dogie decide the team's drafting choices? He says this isn't the case. In fact, in Season 9, he let Coach John Michael “Zico” Dizon decide the lineups, only asking to step in when Nexplay EVOS faces ECHO PH.
Things, however, were different come playoffs.
"Sa playoffs ng Season 9, hindi dapat maglalaro si H2wo kase halos wala siya sa bahay at mediocre ang result ng scrim niya pero ako na nag-decide na ipasok siya sa last game ng Onic [dahil] it's do-or-die na e," wrote Dogie.
In the end the move nearly paid dividents. Nexplay experienced a resurgence as John Paul "H2wo" Salonga's arrival forced a grueling 5-game slugfest. But despite Dogie's lineup decision, the Neon Tigers were eliminated.
Coaching problems inside Nexplay EVOS?
Coming into Season 10, Paolo "Pao" Villanueva took over the tactician reigns. While he is never mentioned by name in Dogie's lengthy post, Dogie liberally takes shots at Nexplay's new coach.
For one, the streamer questioned the decision to field three Pos 4 players in the lineup.
"Pumasok S10 dumating bago namin coach at nag-decide siya na mag-performance base kame. Apat na team nag-try at tatlong pos 4 pinili niya sa lineup."
This affected the Neon Tigers' training regimen.
"Sabe namin ni Dale [Lopez] mahirap kase if ever 10 players ang lalaro yung 2nd team walang practice kase kulang kami ng gold lane. Sabe ko sa coach noon huwag na ako i-lineup at ipasok si Kuzen para makapag-practice sila. Nandoon sina RENEJAY, Dale, at Sir Allan. Pero coach's decision at natuloy ang tatlong pos 4 namin."
But that wasn't the only advice that was ignored, wrote Dogie. Nexplay opted to acquire Karl Mico "Micophobia" Quitlong amid Dogie's protests.
"...Sabi ko kunin nalang natin tank ng Minana [Esports] kase kahit papaano may statistics yun kaysa kay Mico[phobia] na walang playing time sa Season 9."
Batute plays against Blacklist International
If there was one match that raised the eyebrows of fans in Nexplay EVOS' dismal season, it would have to be the clash between Blacklist International and Nexplay EVOS in Week 5.
It was in this V33wise duel that Nexplay fielded Dogie, who was playing under his S10 handle of Batute. In a must-win game against the eventual champions, Dogie, who has never played in a competitive match since his Season 8 debut, was suddenly inserted into the lineup.
Why did Dogie take the field? According to him, Micophobia wasn't available against the Codebreakers.
"Pumasok na nga yung rotation week ng MPL Season 10 at normaly hindi ako maglalaro sa Blacklist kaso again wala si Mico[phobia] sa bootcamp the day na kalaban Blacklist," claimed Dogie. "[S]o practice time lang namin noon is noong umaga. Ka-scrim pa namin yung Onic Indonesia."
Then when it came to the drafting, Coach Pao allegedly ignored Dogie's suggestions.
"Sabi ni coach 2nd game paglalaruin si Elpizo which is agree ako. Talo game 1 sa Blacklist kase ayaw sundin draft ko. Ang ban request ko, which is Akai, Lolita, at Diggie first pick kami and Valentina."
He added: "Kaso binago niya ung draft, ban Lolita, Diggie, at Mathilda kami. First pick daw Akai tapos mamimile Blacklist sa Faramis at Valentina. Sabi ko sa coach kukunin nila yung dalawa na yun kase naka-scrim namin Blacklist noong SEA Games nila at nag-funnel Valentina si Wise."
Then came that questionable tank Paquito pick.
"Second game sinong tanga magpa-Paquito tank doon sa game na yun? Tinanong nila sa akin kung pwede ako mag-Paquito tank dapat pos 5 Saber ako doon kaso gusto nila si Kzen mag-Saber so sabe ko sige andito naman na tayo tsaka coach's decision yan."
Dogie addresses H2wo
Moving on from the Blacklist-Nexplay clash, Dogie's rant also discussed John Paul "H2wo" Salonga, who came under fire in Season 10 for his hero pool. He eventually became a meme, especially with his Fanny pick, which arguably led to the #MPLPHProtectYourPlayers movement.
Here's Dogie's explanation about H2wo's hero pool.
"Now pasok tayo sa Season 10 performance base nakasama ko si H2wo sa mga scrims at never siya nag-Fanny almost naka-Ling siya palagi or Hayabusa or Helcurt. May 100 games Ling played sa scrims si H2wo," recalled Dogie.
"Sinabihan ko si coach na pagamitin ng ibang hero kase insta ban kay H2wo ang Ling pero need daw kase manalo sa scrim kaya need niya mag-Ling."
Despite H2wo's lack of experience playing Fanny, Dogie claimed that he had been forced to do so because of their coach.
"Pumunta akong bootcamp at kinausap ko si H2wo bakit ka nag-Fanny if hindi mo naman masiyado nagagamit sa scrims. Bakit hindi ka nagta-tank hero like Barats at Akai? Sabi sa akin ni H2wo ayun daw kase draft ni coach's."
Dogie added: "So kinausap ko si coach, 'Bakit hindi mo pinapagamit ng ibang hero si H2wo?' Sabi niya sa akin, 'Hindi daw alam gamitin ni H2wo,' Ang sabi ko kay coach, 'Papagamitin mong Fanny si H2wo na pinakamahirap gamitin na hero tapos yung pinakamadaling hero ayaw mo pagamit?
"Pero si coach pa rin nasusunod sa lineup, ni isang beses di ako nangialam sa kanila. I'm only putting criticisms base on in-game performance ng ML."
Nexplay then decided to field rookie Ken "Kzen" Pile instead of the veteran jungler. The new player rose to the occasion.
"Si H2wo hindi nagsha-shotcall si Kzen nagsha-shotcall, so ginawa ni coach pinasok si Kzen nakita mismo ni H2wo paano mag-shotcall si Kzen at ginaya ni H2wo si Kzen nagsha-shotcall nadin but the time was already gone dapat noon palang nagsha-shotcall na si H2wo."