As one of the powerhouses in the MLBB Pro League Indonesia circuit, RRQ Hoshi has surprisingly found itself struggling to escape the elimination zone throughout this regular season. This poor performance has not gone unnoticed, with members of the esports organization, including coach/analyst Zaya Win Paing, openly acknowledging the challenges.
Starting from the second week of the MPL ID S13 regular season, RRQ has been plagued by a string of poor results. Their situation was further exacerbated by a series of controversies involving some team members. Despite these setbacks, the team demonstrated strong mental resilience, eventually adjusting their strategy and gradually turning things around after mid-season.
Nevertheless, RRQ’s chances of making the playoffs remained uncertain, as their points were still perilously close to the elimination zone. Fortunately, RRQ Hoshi secured the last playoff spot thanks to Rebellion, who were one point behind, failing to win their final match against Geek Fam last Sunday.
This narrow escape did not shield RRQ Hoshi from harsh criticism from fans who had been following MPL ID S13 since the beginning. In a media press session last Saturday (5/18), Zaya admitted that his team had been significantly lacking in all areas and needed more time to devise new tactics during the middle of the regular season.
The Myanmar-born coach was quick to clarify that RRQ’s poor performance had nothing to do with his partner, Vrendon “Vren” Pesebre, who had recently been involved in a controversy.
“We were losing in almost everything. We had to come up with new plans, new strategies. Our decision-making was really bad,” he stated. “We play as a team, so it’s our fault that we played badly. We don’t have a problem with Vren; it’s just our tactics did not work as we planned.”
Regarding their chances of making the playoffs at that time, Zaya admitted that he did not have high hopes for the remaining matches. He also acknowledged that RRQ was no longer the favorite in the competition, emphasizing the need for hard work to restore their status as a top team.
“I think our team is not the favorites. Right now, we don’t seem to play at the highest level. But we still have a chance, so we have to work harder from here.”
Looking ahead, RRQ Hoshi faces a tough challenge on June 5th, when they will compete in a knockout match against Geek Fam, who currently boast superior strategy. The winner of this match will advance to face Fnatic Onic in the next round.
