The world champions will not be able to defend their throne but at least they finally have the time for a well-earned rest.
The competitive year has sadly come to an early close for Falcons AP.Bren and coach Francis “Ducky” Glindro after finishing third in the MPL PH S14 playoffs. Despite being solidly the second-best team in the regular season, the team couldn’t come together in time for playoffs.
While Fnatic ONIC PH and Aurora Gaming were leveling up throughout the tournament, Falcons AP.Bren were slowly lagging behind. The team was constantly talking about patching up their weaknesses in the regular season.
However, it seems like there were too many holes to fix and the nonstop grind to stay competitive wasn’t helping. Fatigue became a factor to the team’s performance and coach Ducky confirmed as much in a post-game media interview.
“I think the entire year and a half na nagko-compete kami internationally, all those stresses, the mental fatigue, it’s probably taking its toll. Kita ko in their performance sa mga scrims, training sessions, and discussions namin. Parang nararamdaman ko na yung fatigue nila.”
Later, coach Ducky would tell The Game that the team was still motivated to reach the M6 World Championships. Yet no amount of motivation could make up for the team’s dwindling focus.
“It’s a combination of a lot of different factors,” said coach Ducky. “But the biggest one was, in the back of their heads, they really felt that they needed a break. Aura lang sa bootcamp, how they conversed among each other, their thoughts on the game, nararamdaman mo yun. Parang nabawasan yung sense of creativity nila.”
Still, coach Ducky feels that there’s a silver lining for Falcons AP.Bren despite the loss. As he admitted to the media: “I’m unironically happy na makaka-pahinga na yung mga bata. I think they deserve it so much.”
A Good Problem to Have
Despite the tight schedules and constant pressure of competition, coach Ducky feels that it’s actually a good problem to have. “There’s a lot of things you can learn from the experience alone. And if you’re looking at it through the lens of an esports professional, you can definitely grow a lot from the experience.”
And while coach Ducky’s commitments to Falcons AP.Bren are done for now, his year still isn’t finished. He’ll be joining the Philippine’s national MLBB team as their assistant coach when they travel to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the IESF World Esports Championship later this November.
“If you’re in esports you’re always working since you’re constantly learning new things,” said coach Ducky as he reflected on the remainder of the year.
“No one’s going to guide you, for sure. If you’re in my position, it’s going to be difficult to take a breather. But I think it’s just going to be another day in the office for me.”
Banner photo from MOONTON Games.