The end was in sight. Team Flash’s base was left with only a sliver of health; just one hit would guarantee RSG SG would win and give them a fourth consecutive MPL Singapore title. But as with most sporting events, nothing is ever confirmed until the game is over.
And the same thing happened with RSG SG. BRAYYY (Brayden Teo), the team’s Jungler, made a crucial mistake right on the last step. Instead of finishing the base, BRAYYY set out to eliminate his opponent and celebrated too early, a move that backfired when Team Flash’s Adammir got the better of him and allowed the opposing team to recover and win the round, forcing a Game 7. Team Flash defeated RSG SG in the last match and lifted the title at their expense.
It was a big mistake on BRAYYY’s part, in a high-profile setting. Understandably, many feel this is her lowest point. But we all love a comeback story. Robert Downey Jr, Ke Huy Quan and more – there’s something fascinating about watching a person rise like a phoenix after being reduced to ashes.
In the run-up to the MPL Singapore Season 7 Playoffs, where BRAYYY and RSG SG compete to regain the title, I spoke to him about bouncing back from such a setback and his journey towards redemption.
The big misstep
Every story has a beginning, and for BRAYYY, we have to start at that moment, one that he acknowledges was pivotal to the final course.
“At that moment, when it happened, I found myself “high” and I really didn’t know what my mistake was. I was really shocked by what had actually happened and this ended up affecting my mindset going into the final game. I could have won the game for my team right then and there, but because of my misstep, I couldn’t do it,” BRAYYY says.
“After the match ended, I felt very disappointed in myself because I know I could have done better. At that moment, I simply wished I had done things differently, and I even wished that the whole mistake hadn’t happened at all, and that what was happening was just a dream.”
After the final, BRAYYY says his teammates assured him everything was fine. However, he still felt hatred towards himself due to the seriousness of his mistake: it prevented his team from making more history as four champions and prevented them from qualifying for the M5 World Championship, one of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB). . prestigious competitions.
There was also the issue of online negativity in the wake of it all, with a lot of nasty comments and content about him. While online hate speech is always bad, it’s especially bad for BRAYYY — it’s easy to forget that she was still 18 back then, and experiencing those things when she was young can be detrimental in the long run.
Social media is often an escape for people that age, but for BRAYYY it presents an endless spiral of negativity. So instead of digging deeper, she hit the brakes. Following the advice of her teammates, his coach, his close friends, her family and MPL Singapore host Cheryl Yao, she decided to stay away from social media for a month after the Grand Final.
Speaking about the breakup, she explains: “I knew there was a lot of negativity (comments and content) about me, and I made it a priority to refrain from reading and interacting with them. “It helped me stop thinking about what had happened and I think that helped me maintain my mindset going into MPL Singapore Season 7 and wanting to prove myself in esports.”
Road to redemption
The break that followed the Grand Final was fruitful for him. He used the period to spend time with his loved ones and focus on himself to get out of the negative mental space. In the end, he had to restart training, but it also presented another opportunity for a renewed perspective.
RSG SG is going through a season of transition this year. Much of the lineup that started in the Season 6 finale was no longer on the team. Essentially, BRAYYY was practically starting a new team; an opportunity to start from scratch.
“Honestly, it gave me a fresh start because there are quite a few changes in the starting lineup, leaving just Roy and I, who are now considered the “OG” members of the team,” BRAYYY says.
But it was more than starting the season with new members. In addition to his role as a player, BRAYYY also took on the role of mentor to his new teammates as RSG SG prepared for the upcoming MPL Singapore season.
“I also took on additional responsibility this season, stepping in as a coach and analyst when needed, so I had a lot of work to do. I helped prepare the new players, making sure they were ready. “Accelerate when it comes to brushing up on our core skills and working on the tactical and gameplay aspect,” he shared.
“I think I’ve seen a lot of growth in myself and as a player; “I have put in a lot of time and effort this season to take on these additional roles and it has also given me more perspective that coaching is not as easy as it seems.”
The revenge of revenge
MPL Singapore Season 7 began in earnest with the regular season on the weekend of May 4-5, where 8 teams faced off over four weeks to earn one of the six Playoff spots, transitioning to a knockout format. to determine a winner.
After losing the finals and coming in with a revamped team, RSG SG were underdogs in Season 7. They had a mixed start in Week 1, claiming victory over Evil in their first match, but then disappointingly losing 2-1 against League newcomers Asteris in the next. day. Week 2 had the potential to complicate things.
Their next match was against the same opponents that dethroned RSG SG: Team Flash. To make matters worse, there was a familiar face among them. Diablo (Yeo Wee Lun), who was formally from RSG SG, now heads Team Flash as captain. And he had some strong words to say before the rematch.
“I hope they (RSG) don’t let me down because I want to face them in the Grand Final. “I want to show them the difference between having me as captain or not (having me there more)!” challenged Diablo, who further implied that he was the “victory condition” of the RSG SG when he was there.
It was perhaps even more humbling to hear it about BRAYYY, who had been Diablo’s teammate for a good period of time. In particular, Diablo himself said that one of the main reasons he changed teams was because he thought BRAYYY would enlist in National Service, hinting at a strong bond between the two. But the words didn’t seem to faze him.
When I asked him what he thought about Diablo’s comments, BRAYYY was very calm about it. “While Diablo had some fighting words during his Week 1 postgame interview, I didn’t let it go to my head. I wasn’t too worried about it and used it as motivation to train even harder for the game. I think the most important thing is to let our gameplay speak for itself…”
And so, on May 11, 2024, more than six months after that fateful day, Team Flash and RSG SG faced off once again.
It seemed that history could repeat itself. Team Flash took the first game and there was a slight sense of cruel irony when Hadess was presented with a situation similar to the one in the Season 6 finals, but he made no mistake to help his team win. But the game had difficult moments, which showed that RSG SG could match Team Flash.
The second game begins and it is different. BRAYYY took center stage not only as a coach but also as a player. His final plays of X.Borg Last Insanity were crucial in damaging Team Flash, causing the most damage to everyone as he and his team achieved victory. And it continued in Game 3. RSG SG massacred Team Flash early in the game, with BRAYYY helping secure the turtles and lords. It was an easy victory and RSG SG completed a satisfying revenge match.
“I think the win shows us that we really have what it takes to win the MPL Singapore, despite our rocky start during Week 1 of the regular season. It also gave our new lineup a much-needed confidence boost for the rest of our games. We beat the defending champions and I think this was the turning point of the regular season,” BRAYYY said.
“Before the match even started, all the commentators had predicted that the match would go against us and that we would lose. But we managed to prove them wrong and show them the value of RSG SG. I think this really puts us in an advantageous position heading into the Playoffs because we got a taste of Team Flash’s gameplay and gave newer players the experience of facing them. During the Playoffs, we will definitely be more prepared, not only against Team Flash, but against all the other teams!
Thinking in the future
RSG SG completed a decent participation in the regular season, finishing third in the final standings. Although they suffered a 0-2 loss in their last match against Bleed Esports, the team will be encouraged by the fact that they are the only team besides Team Flash to record a four-game winning streak. It’s an experience that will be very useful for the new team, especially if RSG SG faces Team Flash again in the Playoffs.
“We worked hard during training, spending time strategizing and also exploring different styles of play as we progress through the tournament. Since RSG SG has certain play styles that we have stuck to in the past, we worked together to experiment with different types of heroes and play strategies to mix things up and make other teams less likely to adopt our strategy.” BRAYYY says as his team prepares for the Playoffs.
Many lessons were learned throughout the regular season and, combined with their experience in the season 6 grand finale, BRAYYY believes they have come out better and stronger.
“Throughout this whole process, I have learned to be less complacent and overconfident. Despite being MPL Singapore champions for three seasons, this whole experience taught me that anything can happen even when I’m at the top. It made me realize that I still have a long way to improve and I work on it with my team all the time,” says BRAYYY.
“It also made me believe in the phrase ‘it’s not over until it’s over.’ This doesn’t (only) apply to my mistake from last season, but to what I’ve experienced and what’s coming for MPL Singapore Season 7. During the regular season games when we were behind, I made it a point to adopt this mentality, and we ended up rallying to get the win. And I think this also applies to what awaits us with the Playoffs. It really isn’t over until it’s over, and I will continue to push with RSG SG and hope we come out champions once again this season.”
Watch the MPL SG Season 7 playoffs
Follow BRAYYY and RSG SG as they try to regain the crown in the MPL Singapore Season 7 playoffs. They will take on Bleed Esports in their first match on June 14, 2024, and you can watch them live on MPL Singapore’s official Facebook, YouTube and TikTok channels at 10am
Images courtesy of RSG SG and Moonton.
