Photo: MPL PH

By Tiffany Dela Cruz

Jeniel “Haze” Bata-anon’s first season at the helm of ONIC PH was never meant to be easy -- but few could have predicted just how turbulent it would become before the games even began.

Just a month before the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) Philippines Season 17, the team was dealt a major blow when star jungler and franchise cornerstone Duane “Kelra” Pillas was transferred to ONIC ID.

For a newly appointed head coach like Haze, it was the kind of setback that immediately tested both his system and his resolve.

“Before the season, we went through so many problems. It felt like even before everything really started, just a month before the tournament, we already received bad news,” he said.

Instead of a seamless transition, ONIC PH was forced into a rapid rebuild.

Photo: MPL PH

The organization brought in Indonesian gold laner Clayton “Savero” Kuswanto to reinforce the roster, but with him came an unavoidable challenge -- communication barriers that needed to be addressed almost overnight.

“As a first-time head coach, I was suddenly given those kinds of challenges. At first, I really thought to myself, ‘Why is my first season like this?’ But right now, I’m extremely proud of them. We handled things day by day, and we endured the process,” Haze shared.

Haze suddenly found himself managing not just rotations and strategies, but also language gaps, chemistry issues, and the pressure of molding a team that had been reshaped just weeks before competition. 

It was a situation that left little room for adjustment and even less for comfort. Still, amid the chaos, ONIC PH chose to commit to the process.

Photo: MPL PH

“Rebuilding a team is never easy—you deal with a language barrier, and so many things need to be fixed. But all the sacrifices we made somehow paid off,” the former MPL PH champion said.

“It may not feel enough, but I’m very proud of them because they trusted each other, and they trusted me even if I’m just a newbie. It’s valid to feel sad, but nothing comes from dwelling on it. We should just be proud of each other,” he added.

Rebuilding a contender in such a short window meant sacrifices from every member of the roster and coaching staff. But instead of breaking down, the team leaned into the discomfort, learning to adapt and trust one another in real time.

That resilience eventually translated into results. Against the odds and early-season doubts, ONIC PH managed to finish third in Season 17, a campaign that ended with a hard-fought lower bracket finals defeat to Team Falcons PH in a 2-4 series.

For Haze, the result was both painful and proud. 

It was painful, because the championship dream remained out of reach, and proud, because of how far the group had come from the uncertainty of preseason turmoil to becoming one of the league’s most competitive teams.