A SECOND CHANCE.
That was Jaymark "Hadess" Lazaro's theme upon entering the M5 World Championship. After spending years in obscurity in the professional scene, a new beginning emerges.
For Team Flash to finally burst into the world stage, after spending years under the shadows of the usual Singaporean powerhouses namely RSG and EVOS, is a monumental achievement for the club.
But none of this would've been possible if it weren't for some miscalculated plays from RSG in the grand finals, and the arrival of the King of the MLBB Underworld, Lord Hadess.
Ever since he arrived to the team, fans couldn't stop memeing 'Hadess-Esports,' which eventually reached his teammates.
"Ganun talaga yung nangyari kasi noong day two pa lang, inside joke ng team namin yun kasi maraming nagco-comment sa YouTube na 'Hadess-Esports. Tapos pagsimula ng Day 2 playoffs, tuwing nagha-huddle kami, ayun yung sinisigaw nila tapos natatawa na lang ako kasi parang inaasar nila ako."
And it further echoed where even MPL SG talent, Cheryl Yao would also scream the term.
"Tapos noong binanggit nila iyon sa host sabi ko, 'Bakit nila ginawa yun, nakakahiya kasi five man team naman yung ML e (laughs)."
But deep inside, Team Flash knew that Hadess alone can't carry the whole team as he also needed the backbone support from his peers.
"Alam naman nila na joke lang iyon tapos lima naman talaga kami as a team."
Now that Team Flash is in M5, Hadess can finally return to the Philippines, where his family and friends were in the venue in his debut match against Burmese Ghouls.
Hadess wouldn't be here if it weren't for them.
"Para sa akin, sila yung motivation ko kapag nada-down ako. Iniisip ko sila palagi," he revealed.
Hadess contemplated on saying goodbye to esports
Before Hadess returned to his home country as a champion, there was a time when he was a journeyman in MLBB, bouncing around numerous teams.
He played for Cignal Ultra in Season 6 of MPL PH, then played for Aura PH, which eventually turned to ECHO from Seasons 7-8.
In Season 9, he was relegated to the bench as Karl "KarlTzy" Nepomuceno took over his slot.
Then he went overseas to play for Geek Fam, then tried his luck to be a part of Blacklist International, where he had to compete against a truckload of junglers.
From his journey, it seemed Hadess struggled to find his breakthrough moment. This led to him doubting his value, especially after his loan ended with the Codebreakers.
"May mga time na napapaisip ako if para pa ba sa akin ang esports kasi ang tagal ko na tapos hindi pa ako nagcha-champion," he reflected to SPIN.ph.
In fact he even considered an alternative option, where Hadess goes back to his early days when he was a student. But instead of letting his doubts cloud his judgement, his family and peers gave him words of encouragement.
"Actually gusto ko ng mag-aral pero inaano ako ng pamilya ko and friends ko na, 'Kaya ko pang maglaro tapos pinipilit nila ako."
They even told him: "Maraming nangangarap na pumunta sa posisyon mo kaya galingan mo lang lalo."
Right now, Hadess has been receiving their overflowing support but before he became the King of the MLBB Underworld, he had to fight for their approval when he first started.
Hadess secretly joined tournaments
Hadess' father is a tricycle driver, who had to fight for the welfare of his children. During his youth, his family wasn't supportive of his decision to grind in MLBB.
Except for his brother, who gave him opportunities to follow his dreams.
"Parang sa una ayaw nila, pero yung kuya ko gamer kasi e. Kapag may tournament ako na pupuntahan, ang ipapaalam niya pupunta ako sa kanila pero pupunta ako sa tournament para lang makasali."
Hadess would attend classes, while competing in tournaments. He even tried knocking on the doorstep in the MPL as he tried to make his name in the qualifiers of the local scene.
Looking back at what has transpired, Hadess has indeed come a long way. From a an up-and-coming prospect turned journeyman and a forgotten player, he found a new beginning when he became champion in Singapore.
Life in Singapore
However it wasn't always a bed of roses when he first arrived to Singapore. While he did play overseas with Geek Fam in MPL Indonesia, he had a fellow Filipino with him in Allen Jedric "Baloyskie" Baloy.
But in Singapore, he was on his own.
"Naho-homesick ako sa Singapore kasi lalo na noong mag-isa ako as an import. Sa Indonesia kasi, kasama ko si Baloy kaya medyo hindi. Ngayon mag-isa ako kaya naho-homesick ako."
Because of his overall experience, Hadess was in constant communication with his childhood friends and family.
And inside the bootcamp, he slowly got comfortable especially with his teammates supporting him.
"Noong umpisa, na-OP ako kasi magkakampi na sila noon pa tapos dumagdag pa ako. Pero noong tumagal naman, naging ok na kasi marunong din silang makisama."
It was a blessing that his teammates integrated him, however there were struggles in forging the bond and chemistry that's necessary in the competitive esports scene.
In the MLBB esports scene, Singapore has always struggled as the infrastructure has never favored them.
"Hindi kami fulltime doon e kaya nagkikita-kita lang kami kapag may practice. So yung pinaka-bonding namin is kumain," explained Hadess.
He added: "Ayun siguro kasi ang alam ko yung ibang team sa Singapore, fulltime, pero yung sa amin hindi siya fulltime kaya ayun siguro yung isa sa struggle namin. Minsan isang beses lang kami mag-scrim, minsan wala pa kasi busy talaga lahat."
His teammates would prioritize their education, while the team's roamer Bellamy "Lolsie" Yeov is busy with his dayjob.
Given the situation in Singapore, Hadess is hoping that things will get better as he sees potential in the scene.
"Kasi ang liit talaga ng community doon (SG) sa esports. Tapos about sa army din, kasi yung kakampi ko nasa army din kaya hirap kami sa practice. Feeling ko kung masusuportahan sila ng government tapos mas lalaki yung community, feeling ko kaya nilang sumabay," narrated Hadess.
Yet despite all of these struggles, Hadess managed to overcome the hurdles and return home, full of pride and joy.
A championship trophy was enough to silence his inner demons, and upon arriving home, his family was proud of what he has accomplished.
"Natutuwa sila kasi pag-uwi ko, champion na ako tapos magre-represent ako."
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