‘Everyone Has Ego. What’s Important is to Talk About It.’

The faces on the stage change, but the core stays the same. Mitch Liwanag has kept Team Liquid PH in winning form through seasons that have tested chemistry, patience, and belief. She has seen players leave, new ones arrive, and yet the team still knows how to win.

When she talks about Sanji, Sanford, Jaypee, Oheb, and KarlTzy, it sounds less like a list of names and more like a map she’s memorized.

“Sa San-San duo, you cannot deny their chemistry,” she says. “Sila yung dalawa na hindi mo pwedeng paghiwalayin.” 

She knows which combinations work, which players draw strength from each other, which ones need space to lead.

At the center is KarlTzy.

“He’s the leader of the team,” she says. “Siya yung nagdadala ng hype. Siya yung pinaka-brain. Parang siya yung motherboard. Hindi gagana yung apat kapag wala si Karl.”

Around him, she built a system. Jaypee balances the group, keeps their energy from boiling over. 

“Since sobrang flashy na yung apat—si Oheb, San-San, and KarlTzy—we need someone who can supervise them. Hindi flashy na tao pero nagagawa niya yung trabaho niya.”

It sounds simple, but keeping balance in a team full of champions isn’t easy. Mitch says ego is part of the job. 

Everyone Has Ego

In a separate interview, Sanford told ALL-STAR how everyone on the roster always likes to argue.

“Mahilig kami mag argue pero team banter lang. Dini-discuss lang namin what went wrong, kung ano ang dapat ayusin, kung sino dapat ang magsi-sync sa laro,” said Sanford. 

“Kapag hindi na nagkakaroon ng arguments ang team, wala nang chance mag-improve,” he added.

“Everyone has ego,” says Mitch Liwanag. “It’s normal. Pero kung nadadaan naman sa usapan, maaayos naman.” 

Arguments happen, but she turns them into discussions. The players have learned to trust the process because she insists on it.

“Yung pagtatalo, yung mga disagreements, it’s part of the game. Syempre may discussion, brainstorming, hindi naman positive palagi. We always have problems but we always find a solution. Ganoon naman kami palagi.”

That process shows in how she handles her coaches too. When she brought in Arsy, the team didn’t win right away. 

“Noong pumasok si Arsy sa amin, talo pa nga kami,” she says. “But you have to believe the process. Nakitaan ko kasi siya ng potential from Day 1.”

She remembers watching him coach during M6. “Yung drafting pattern niya, bagay sa atin,” she told her staff. The veterans doubted her, but she told them, “Tiwala lang.” Months later, they were winning again.

Mitch Liwanag Never Lets the Pieces Fall Apart

Mitch has built her method on experience. She knows what it’s like to be the one following orders, to be questioned, to be new. 

“Naging player ako, naging coach, naging manager, and now head of esports,” she says. “Kaya alam ko kung ano pinagdadaanan ng mga bata.” 

What holds the team together isn’t just her eye for talent, but her consistency. Players know she believes in them even when results are slow to show. She doesn’t panic, doesn’t switch out players at the first sign of trouble. She builds around what she knows will last.

Mitch Liwanag doesn’t talk about winning as an end goal. For her, it’s something that happens when a team finally understands itself. She finds the balance, sets the tone, and keeps the machine running. Every season brings change, but Team Liquid stays in form because she never lets the pieces fall apart.

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