DESPITE BEING one of the most talented players in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang esports scene, Gerald "Dlar" Trinchera's career has always been plagued with some form of tragedy.
He could've been a champion in Season 4 had Christian "Rafflesia" Fajura failed to deliver the clutch play that changed the scope of the finals.
He could've also ended his championship drought had Onic PH not encountered prime Blacklist International in Season 8 and the M3 World Championship.
Then there's the controversial MDL demotion, which raised questions as to why a talented player like Dlar would end up in the development league.
It seemed all hope is lost for Dlar who couldn't break away from the curse bestowed unto him by the MLBB gods. However, the EXP laner was recently inspired by the uplifting story of a pro player from another esport.
Dlar looks up to Deft
In his recent Twitter post, Dlar admired Kim "Deft" Hyuk-kyu's determination in the recent League of Legends Worlds.
Wrote Dlar, "Ang tunay na inspirasyon: Deft. Ginaganahan na ulit tuloy ako."
During the Worlds 2022 finals, both DRX and T1 produced a legendary finals performance that saw the two teams deliver a 5-game spectacle. To some, this was the best finals in Worlds history.
It likewise produced one of the best storylines in the scene, where the unproven DRX squad were hoping to make a breakthrough against the fan favorites in Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok's T1.
Leading DRX was Deft, who has grinded his way in the scene only, for him to be constantly disappointed.
For 10 years, Deft has never tasted any hardware, with only a second place finish in the LCK Regional Finals as his biggest achievement.
Then when it came to the world stage, from 2014-2021, Deft could only reach the semis and quarterfinals.
It was only in 2022 where he finally broke the curse and finally fulfilled his long awaited dream of being a champion.
While many would've faltered from the long and painful journey, Deft's determination ultimately paid dividends... the sort of motivation the Dlar needs in his career.