Onic Esports’ star jungler, Kairi “Kairi” Rayosdelsol, is facing backlash from Indonesian fans following a dramatic defeat against AP Bren in the M5 grand finals held in Manila, Philippines on Sunday, December 17. The young Filipino is under scrutiny for what is perceived as a subpar performance in front of his home country supporters.
In the highly anticipated grand finals, Onic Esports, who had previously upset AP Bren in the upper bracket finals, faced early struggles and found it challenging to contain Filipino superstar Michael “KyleTzy” Sayson, who took an early lead.
Undeterred, the Yellow Porcupine rallied for a comeback. Trailing 3-1, the Indonesian squad, led by standout performances from Gilang “Sanz” and Calvin “CW” Winata, managed to level the score at 3-3. However, in the crucial final game, Onic’s aggressive draft tactics were met with strong resistance from the Hive. Despite patiently waiting for a turnaround, an uncharacteristic error from Kairi in the late game proved costly, leading to Bren’s victory.
The post-match scene unfolded as Onic players ascended the stage to receive their runner-up honors. The camera captured Kairi visibly emotional, unable to hold back tears for falling short in the decisive game. While garnering sympathy from the on-site audience, a majority of the MLBB community in Indonesia expressed disappointment with Kairi’s performance.
On social media, many Indonesian fans speculated that Kairi’s emotional display was a deliberate attempt to gain sympathy from the Filipino fanbase who came to the tournament. Furthermore, harsh comments and critiques were aimed at head coach Paul “Yeb” Denver for his unconventional draft tactics in the decisive final game.
The widespread criticism on social media prompted Onic’s management and several MLBB professionals in Indonesia to offer moral support to Kairi. Various talents from MPL ID condemned the personal attacks on Kairi.
In a recent statement, Kairi expressed remorse for the incident and apologized to his supporters who witnessed the M5 competition to its conclusion. He affirmed his commitment not to retire from professional competition until he secures the coveted M World Championship trophy.
