A member of the UST Teletigers bagged silver in the East Asian leg of the Tekken Online Challenge held on Oct. 2.
Teletiger Michael Angelo “TGR RGN” Balaga succumbed to PlayBook Esports’ Alexandre “PBE AK” Lavarez, 1-3, in the final round of the Tekken tournament.
Down two games to none, TGR RGN clawed back with a 3-1 effort, claiming his only set in the best-of-five series.
“Compared to the other opponents that I have faced, he (Laverez) has a much faster-paced game. We knew each other’s characters; that is why he anticipated my movements,” Balaga said in an online interview with the Varsitarian.
Balaga admitted his lack of composure in the final stretch, causing him to be predictable against PBE’s bet.
“I knew his playstyle, and I knew how he was going to play the character. It’s just that I was not able to adjust to it,” he said.
TGR RGN advanced to the Finals after squeaking by Omega Esports’ Juliano “Omega Jules” Lozano, 3-2, in the “Loser’s Bracket.”
Balaga held an 11-2 win-loss record in the tournament with an 84.62 win percentage.
The 18-year-old civil engineering freshman joined the Teletigers last year and represented the University in the AcadArena Aces: Campus Open Tekken 7 last February, where he also placed second.
TGR RGN took home P20,000 as cash prize.
