The Day the ‘Big 3’ Left the Land of Dawn

Yesterday, the Land of Dawn lost more than just three stars. It lost an era.

One by one, like constellations flickering out, Yawi, Renejay, and H2WO—the triumvirate once hailed as the Big 3—bid farewell to their respective MPL teams. Social media lit up with farewell posts, cryptic emojis, and that all-too-familiar phrase: “Thank you for everything.”

And just as fans were beginning to process it all, a new image emerged: the three of them, reunited—not in MPL, but in a new universe.

Honor of Kings released a cinematic video. In it, the Big 3 stood shoulder-to-shoulder—not in their old MPL jerseys, but in a new world. Flanking them: Dogie, the old general who once raised Nexplay from memes to madness, and Sumpak, the viral firestarter turned breakout talent. Together, they were no longer just players but were symbols of a shift. Icons of defection. Legends crossing over.

It felt like the day Kobe walked off the court—still brilliant, still burning, but unmistakably the end of something.

After five years of waving the Mobile Legends banner, the trio evolved from superstars into archetypes—defining roles, shaping narratives, and anchoring an era.

Yawi, the roamer with the heart of a showman—half athlete, half entertainer. Loud in the best ways. Always in the middle of the fight, both on-cam and in-game.

Renejay, the original poster boy of Nexplay. Bold, unpredictable, magnetic. A player who didn’t just ride the chaos—he was the chaos.

H2WO, the golden boy. Clean-cut, well-spoken, impossible not to like. He was clutch when it mattered, and calm when it didn’t. The kind of player you could build a fanbase—or a franchise—around.

Together, they brought chaos, content, and championship aspirations to every team they touched. More importantly, they brought personality to the MPL. That elusive, intangible ingredient you can’t coach or draft.

But like all great rock bands, they eventually found themselves on different stages—still performing, still electric, but no longer in the same spotlight. Different teams. Different metas. Different phases of life. 

And yet, the myth of the Big Three remained intact—immortalized in stream clips, Nexplay montages, and the collective memory of Gen Z fans who grew up with them.

And so we return to today.

The MPL PH—arguably the world’s strongest MLBB league—now watches as its brightest entertainers pivot to a rival title. A title that’s been quietly collecting kings. 

There’s no gentle way to say it: this is a gut punch.

This isn’t just a talent migration. It’s a cultural shift.

Because the Big Three weren’t just good. They were watchable. They were messy, magnetic, maddening, and memeable. They trended when they lost. They pulled views when they weren’t playing.

Some will say it’s just business. Some will cheer for the future. And they’re not wrong. New stars are rising. The MPL is still stacked. The games will go on.

But in this moment, as that HOK video plays on loop, there’s an unspoken truth humming beneath the surface:

The MPL didn’t just lose players. It lost its biggest storytellers. Showmen. Disruptors. 

The MPL goes on. The game evolves. But for one unforgettable stretch of time, the Big 3 were the moment. And we were lucky to witness it.