Nathzz Opens Up About Life in America

At 10 a.m., Nathanael Estrologo aka Nathzz—once hailed as one of the best EXP laners in the MPL Philippines—is pushing a red cart down the wide aisles of a Target store in Abington, Massachusetts. He scans shelves, picks out items that strangers ordered online, and neatly bags them for curbside pickup. The job is quiet, mechanical, and far removed from the screaming fans and bright lights of esports arenas.

Abington is a small, suburban town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts with a population of 17,062 as of the 2020 census. It offers a slower pace of life compared to the city. For someone like Nathzz, who once lived under the constant noise of esports arenas, Abington is a stark but grounding contrast. Here, no one picks up after his mess anymore, and he has to wash his own dishes.

By 6 p.m., Nathzz is in a Taco Bell uniform—behind a drive-thru window, greeting customers with a headset on, handing out burritos and Baja Blasts. Sometimes, he’s behind the line assembling orders. Always on his feet. Always moving. When his shift extends late into the night when other crews are absent, he’s assigned to clean the shop. 

It’s not the kind of grind most fans imagine for their favorite MPL star.

But this is the life of Nathzz now. The former RSG Philippines EXP laner lives in America with his family, juggling two jobs and high school classes, all while quietly nursing a dream to return to the scene that made him famous.

“Dalawa ‘yung job ko po,” he tells ALL-STAR. “Sa umaga, sa Target… sa gabi, mahirap—sa Taco Bell. Ako po yung cashier sa drive-up. Ako po ‘yung kumakausap sa mga naka-kotse.”

He says it matter-of-factly, as if being one of the most mechanically gifted players in MPL history was just another part-time gig in his resume.

Nathzz moved to the U.S. with his family sometime after his last MPL run in Season 14. They settled in Abington, a quiet suburb in Massachusetts. Life there is colder, quieter. He clocks in 50 to 60 hours of work per week—sometimes up to 15 hours a day—on top of his high school studies.

The pay is decent. “$18 to $19 per hour,” he says. “Malaki po… kaso minsan sumasakay ako ng Uber. Wala pa po kasi akong kotse, nag-iipon pa.”

His earnings go to bills and savings. “Nag-iipon po and help sa family din,” he says.

And yet, despite the distance and daily grind, Nathzz hasn’t turned his back on esports. Not completely.

Is Nathzz Returning to MPL Philippines?

“Legit, parang feel ko babalik ako,” he says. “Kaso baka next year pa po.”

It’s a statement he made once on a livestream, almost offhand. Fans thought he was joking. He wasn’t.

“Yung sinasabi ko kanina na baka bumalik ako, legit ‘yon,” he says now, with more conviction. “Marami po kasing nag-o-offer na mga teams last season and this season, kaso hindi ko talaga pinapansin kasi hindi talaga pwede.”

But the issue isn’t skill or desire. It’s paperwork. 

Travel restrictions. Immigration timelines.

Nathzz has a two-year Green Card—enough to work and live in the U.S., but not to leave for long stretches without consequences. “Pero next year po,” he says, “makukuha ko na po yung stepping stone para sa citizenship.”

He doesn’t say it, but you can tell he’s counting the days.

He still watches the MPL. Still keeps track of the teams and players. Somewhere in the back of his mind, strategies are forming, matchups are analyzed, timings and rotations remembered. “Kung may mag-offer sa’yo dito sa Pilipinas o sa ibang bansa, papayag ka?” we ask.

“Opo,” he answers without pause.

Because for all the orders he bags and tacos he wraps, there’s still a part of him that belongs under the stage lights—where teammates shout calls, the crowd roars, and every game is a story. One that he still wants to write.

For now, though, he’s a teenager in America working two jobs, studying, saving, staying up late, dreaming in two languages.

And when he says he’s coming back?

You believe him.