Smart Omega, the professional esports team backed by Smart Communications, Inc., has unveiled its new Mobile Legends: Bang Bang lineup.
In a virtual press conference, Smart Omega has welcomed former players from Execration Billy Jazha “Z4pnu” Alfonso, Renz Errol “Renzio” Cadua, Kiel Vj “Kielvj” Cruzem, Grant Duane “Kelra” Pillas, Patrick James “E2MAX” Caidic, and Joshua “Ch4knu” Mangilog as members of its official roster for MLBB. Smart Omega will also develop four rookie players Robert Remar “Hito” Candoy, Dian Felix “Dian” Cruz, Dean Christian “Raizen” Sumagui, and Romeire “Allidap” Padilla to complete its 10-man team, together with their coach, Jaime “Pakbet” Abalos.
“We are extremely excited about this development in the Smart Omega team. These young men have shown their passion, determination, and heart in their gameplay, and we are more than happy to support their growth and development in the professional esports industry,” said Jude Turcuato, FVP and Head of Sports at PLDT and Smart. “We would also like to thank our former players who have decided to move on with their careers. We wish them all the best,” he added.
The new Smart Omega esports athletes will be housed in the Smart Omega bootcamp, complete with fully functional facilities to help them prepare for future tournaments. Smart has also provided the players with Smart 5G devices and a Smart 5G Rocket WiFi device to help them sharpen their skills and train seamlessly on the telco’s superfast 5G network.
Z4pnu also shared that they are grateful to be part of the new team. “Maraming salamat sa pagtanggap sa amin dito. Gagawin namin ang best namin. Para sa amin, start pa lang ito ng aming journey at pinapangako namin na gagawin naming lahat ng makakaya namin,” [Thank you for welcoming us in this team. We will do our very best. For us, this is just the start of our journey and we promise to do the best that we can] Z4pnu shared.
“Ang message ko naman sa fans, sana suportahan niyo pa rin kami kahit may bago kaming team, sama-sama pa rin kaming lalaban sa mga tournament. At alam ko, lahat kayo nandyan. Maraming salamat,” [To our fans, we hope that you will continue to support us in this new team, we will still be together, fighting in tournaments. And I know that you all will be there. Thank you, he added.
Following their sensational win at the recently concluded Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Southeast Asia Cup 2021 (MSC), the Kings of MSC – the former Team Execration — managed to do a “Cinderella-run,” striking a legendary comeback to book a Grand Finals spot, facing the undefeated fellow Filipino squad Blacklist International. The MSC featured some of the best squads from the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand.
The biggest supporter of Philippine esports
Over the past few years, Smart has proven its strong commitment and support to the Philippine esports community by partnering with game creators and esports tournament organizers here and abroad, delighting subscribers with exclusive offers, and actively playing a role in the Philippine Esports Organization (PESO), the official National Sports Association that governs and develops esports for the over 43 million gamers in the country.
Earlier this year, Smart launched its Double GIGA Games promo, which gives Smart and TNT subscribers 2 GB of data every day for seven days to access their favorite mobile games like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Clash of Clans, Arena of Valor, Clash Royale, and Call of Duty Mobile, as well as to stream gaming content from their favorite creators on FB Gaming, plus 2 GB of open-access data for only P99.
Smart subscribers can register to Double GIGA Games via the GigaLife App, which is downloadable on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and Huawei Mobile Services. Subscribers can also register by dialing *123# and choosing DOUBLE GIGA.
“We believe that Filipinos are indeed among the best esports athletes in the world. Through our carefully crafted prepaid promos and our strongest LTE and 5G networks, we hope to help casual and professional players develop their skills and talent to reach greater heights. We also hope that our new Smart Omega team members can serve as an inspiration to Filipino MLBB casual players and fans to help them pursue their passion for esports,” said Jane J. Basas, SVP and Head of Consumer Wireless Business at Smart.
Philippines' fastest 5G network
Filipino gamers can also enjoy the best mobile gaming experience on 5G devices powered by Smart, which was recently cited as the fastest 5G network in the Philippines by Ookla®, the global leader in internet testing and analysis. Based on consumer-initiated tests taken using Speedtest® by Ookla, Smart has consistently posted the fastest 5G speeds for Q1 2021, with median download speeds of 190 Mbps —more than double the competition's speeds for the same period.
To date, Smart has fired up more than 4,000 sites across the country, making it the country's first, fastest and widest 5G network.
Since 2017, Smart has almost quadrupled the number of LTE base stations across the country, while parent company PLDT has tripled its fiber footprint.
PLDT currently operates the country’s most extensive fiber infrastructure, at more than 511,000 kilometers. This also supports Smart’s mobile networks, which now cover 96% of the population from Batanes to Tawi-Tawi.
PLDT and Smart’s relentless push to provide connectivity for all is aligned with the group’s long-standing commitment to help the Philippines attain the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG no. 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.