As the saying goes, love what you do and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.
Despite all the challenges Aurora’s Edward has faced in playing for over five years in the MPL, he still has the will to keep going and to keep playing. Edward Dapadap has remained top-of-mind when it comes to EXP Laners in the Philippines, and not even Aurora Gaming’s current struggles have put a damper on that..
“Andami nga kaming naging challenges sa team,” said Aurora’s Edward. There were a lot of questions surrounding Aurora coming into MPL PH S16. Chief among them was how the team would play with their new Roamer, Dylan “Light” Catipon.
But between their tight schedules and substandard scrims early on, Aurora has managed to make it work. They’ve looked much better than what people were initially expecting, and Edward credits both players and coaches in the team for all the effort put in to get the team in working order.
“Madali lang naka-adapt si Light sa ginagawa at playstyle namin,” said Aurora’s Light. “Sobrang props din sa coaching staff kasi binigyan nila ng opportunity si Light mag-fit sa team. Medyo kulang pa rin kami sa chemistry, may struggles pa rin sa scrims, so hindi pa ito yung final form namin.”
Playing With Passion
Veteran pro players experience many peaks and valleys throughout their career, but the biggest factor that makes them a veteran is consistency.
Being able to play at your best through the highs and lows is difficult, and many players have their own reasons for staying motivated. Some even need to find new reasons to keep playing, but at least for Edward, his reason has not changed.
“Siguro kasi andun pa rin yung passion. Yun lang talaga,” said Aurora’s Edward. “Kung gustong-gusto mo yung laro, kung nage-enjoy ka, hindi ka magsasawa mag practice.”
Edward himself has already done a lot in his career. From becoming an M3 world champion to being inducted into the MLBB Philippines Hall of Legends, Edward doesn’t really need to prove himself to anyone anymore.
But then again, he was never playing MLBB to prove himself — he was playing for the love of the game.
“Hindi ka magsasawa magising ng maaga para mag rank games before scrims,” continued Aurora’s Edward. “Hindi ka magsasawa mag scrim kahit paulit-ulit yung mga hero. Yun yung nagmo-motivate sa akin. Kasi kung walang passion yung laro mo, wala siya sa puso mo.”
Banner photo from MOONTON Games.