Following a significant downturn in the competitive scene, Evos Esports’ MLBB branch, Evos Legends, continues to let go of its veterans this month. And Steven “Age” Kurniawan is the most recent subject of their decision.
Their downfall was evident in the tenth season of the MLBB Pro League Indonesia, when they missed the playoffs for the first time. Despite the fact that the Blue Tigers army was led by famed coach Bjorn “Zeys” Ong, they only won 5 of 14 games. At the end of that season, they opted to terminate Zeys’ contract and promote Age as their new head coach, along with some new players from the second team.
To everyone’s surprise, this change helped the team do better in MPL ID S11. Despite struggling during the regular season, they remained focused during the playoffs and finished as runners-up.
Their surprise formula, however, did not last long as they opted to undertake another big rotation in the S12. These changes produced instability, causing the team to gradually deteriorate and fail to maintain its place as one of the top four, being defeated by Geek Fam and Rebellion Zion. Evos finished seventh with six victories from sixteen matches, thus failing to qualify for the playoffs once again.
This precipitous collapse sparked harsh criticism from fans, who sought major changes from team management, particularly the coaching staff led by Age. And, just a few days ago, he resigned as the team’s head coach, much to the delight of Evos Fams. Additionally, Gerald “Dlar” Trinchera, a former Evos Legends player and talent, seemed to react harshly to this announcement.
He seemed to make fun of Age’s departure through his recently deleted tweet, where he said “karma does exist.” This comment was posted just a few hours after Age’s exit became public.
It wasn’t entirely surprising to see him take a shot at Age, however, given he had been seen as an outcast since he took over as Evos Legend’s head coach. During his year with Evos Legends, he spent most of his time as a live streamer instead and rarely got a chance to participate in professional tournaments.
Despite being listed as a reserve this season, he never got an opportunity to play due to the inconsistent lineup rotation. His contract finally ran out, so he went back to Philippines to work on his game with the goal of returning to the MLBB tournament next year.
However, it was evident that he departed the club on a negative note because he quickly made a public comment about his stint at Evos. He stated that he was dissatisfied with their choice to exclude him from competition and was offended by their statements, which he described as demoralizing and painful. It’s interesting to note that this was a lot like the one between Zeys and their former player, Maxhill “Antimage” Leonardo.
