With the Philippines’ reputation in mobile gaming, it’s no surprise that every year of the Call of Duty Mobile (CODM) World Championships has seen a Filipino make the stage.
The 2020 edition saw NRX Jeremiah 29:11 team represent all of Southeast Asia, while the 2021 edition crowned two Filipinos as the XPERIA MVPs for both its Eastern and Western divisions in Tribe Gaming’s Kent “Banned” Nerves and Blacklist Ultimate’s Averson “Skerd” Salaya.
With nine out of the eighty players competing in the 2022 edition of Call of Duty Mobile World Championships repping the Philippine flag once again—the most in CODM esports history—will the country’s legacy in CODM continue?
Old faces, new barangay
Despite a heartbreaking 4-3 finals loss against Indonesian powerhouse ALMGHTY, Smart Omega made a great showing in the regional Garena tournament. Led by star rookie Ronan “Rage” Eleria, Smart Omega defeated 2021 CODM World Champions Blacklist Ultimate and eliminated tournament favorites ABC Esports in the process.
With three of the team’s five players coming from the same NRX Jeremiah 29:11 squad that finished last place in the 2020 edition of the World Championships, there is much motivation to burn as fuel for this team’s redemption story, as they look to rise above their dismal performance in the world stage.
Repping from overseas
In the North American and European regions, Filipinos have also made their mark in the professional CODM scene. After winning the Call of Duty Mobile World Championship 2021 West Finals, Banned will look to cement their legacy as one of the best CODM players of all time.
The XPERIA MVP will be fighting under a new banner as he joins kababayans Christian “Washy” Manalo and coach Carl “Image” Butalid in Mexican organization Undream Esports.
Geneil “Neil” Dacanay is currently going strong with Nova Esports after securing their World Championship spot for a second year. Lauded for his immaculate Sniper play and unreal map awareness, the Filipino veteran aims to secure his first World Championship with the squad and reap vengeance after being beaten by European rivals Animus in the European Finals last August.