AFTER four years with the UST Teletigers, Jan Edward “Cresho” Hortizuela will carry the Philippine flag as a member of Liyab Esports, an esports team representing the country in various international League of Legends (LOL) tournaments.
“Pressure is really different, especially I’m not only representing the school now but also given the opportunity to play for Liyab, to represent our flag, our country,” Hortizuela, a former support player of the Teletigers, told the Varsitarian.
Known as one of the top support players in the Philippines, Hortizuela said that the experience he earned during his four years with the Teletigers would help him in his pro stint.
Hortizuela was part of the Teletigers roster that won AcadArena championships and got to represent the country thrice in the International Esports Festival against top universities in Asia the past few years.
“I only think that I understand the game out of many other players. I’m known for reaching rank one in the Philippines for three seasons as a support main,” he said.
Entering the pros, Hortizuela acknowledged that he would need to tweak his style of play and adapt to the international level, which requires better teamwork.
Hortizuela, an information systems sophomore, filed a leave of absence from the Institute of Information and Computing Sciences with the permission of his parents to pursue his Liyab stint.
Liyab recently underwent a roster revamp, now bolstering an all-Filipino lineup that will debut in the Pacific Championship Series (PCS) 2021 Spring.
Hortizuela was among the new recruits by the professional team which finished ninth in the PCS 2020 Summer.
“Before Cresho made into the Liyab esports LOL lineup, he already had the mechanics and some experience in the tournament in the league. He is very vocal inside the game and that’s one main reason why he got the role,” Coach Gerald “Tgee” Gianne Gelacio told the Varsitarian.
“Right now he needs more experience and macro mechanics. This will be a great opportunity for him to be a better player in the league,” Gelacio added.
Liyab just barely missed the playoffs in recent PCS tournaments.
With the new all-Filipino lineup, the team aims to reach the LOL Worlds Championship this year.
The Philippines last qualified for Worlds in 2013 where the country went winless in the group stage.
