OMEGA'S campaigns in Seasons 8, Season 9, and during the MSC 2022 follow one common trend.
They start the season as a disjointed mess, then bounce back and threaten everyone at the latter stages.
In Week 1 of Season 10, it seemed that Omega Esports was fated to follow the same formula, as they were matched up against two notable powerhouses in RSG Philippines and Blacklist International.
But if previous seasons were unkind to Omega, this Season saw them making a statement right off the bat.
A 2-0 start against the defending champs RSG Philippines and a promising outing over Blacklist International (even without Joshua “Ch4knu” Mangilog and Patrick James “E2MAX” Caidic) were clear signs that Omega may finally end their lackluster early at-bats.
A key reason for their Week 1 performances? Coach Jomie “Pakbet” Abalos revealed that the team had to undergo massive changes.
“Sobrang dami naming binago ngayong Season 10 kase medyo talagang hindi kami nagpe-prepare sa mga opening,” he said. “Sabi namin, ‘Try natin good start yung gawin natin, yung tayo naman yung mauuna para tayo yung titingnan nila. Hindi yung tayo nasa ilalim kase hindi tayo tinitingnan. Para may takot sila sa amin.'”
E2MAX reflects on the MSC campaign
But it wasn’t just Coach Pakbet who shared his insights, as team captain and shotcaller E2MAX looked back on what happened in the MSC.
The team nearly failed to reach the playoffs after drawing against IDNS, and they could’ve reached the finale but ultimately fell short against local rivals RSG Philippines at the lower bracket finals.
“Simula na pagkatalo namin sa MSC, nag-usap-usap kaming lahat, nag-open forum and doon talaga na-open yung opportunities na kung naging ganun yung performance namin," said Caidic. "Umabot kami ng third place sa ipinakita namin na alam namin na hindi kami 100 percent prepared."
A major what if indeed, which explains their rigor in Season 10.
“Paano pa kaya kung iibahin natin, mas dagdadgan natin trabaho natin, mas doble, mas disiplina baka naman hindi lang iyan makamit natin and yun yung ginawa namin na preparations namin sa S10 and masaya kaming lahat dahil nakikita natin yung result.”
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