Raising the GOAT: The Untold Stories of KarlTzy
As KarlTzy chases history at M7 World Championship, his family still sees the same boy they raised: the one who cried for twelve pesos, who traded basketball for MLBB, and secretly slept at 4 a.m. on a school day.
“KAKA, COME HERE AND BUY ME A CIGARETTE.” KarlTzy was around 7 years old and his grandfather was telling him to buy a stick.
KarlTzy would look at Grandma Benny, who would give him a stern gaze, as if to say “Don’t you dare buy your grandpa a cigarette stick!”
He would escape outside to avoid his grandpa. Grandma Benny would smile as Karl escaped, and then scold her husband. “Look at what you did! Karl ran away because you kept asking him to buy cigarettes!”
Grandpa Dada has since passed away, and Grandma Benny was left to care for the young KarlTzy as his parents worked abroad in Abu Dhabi to provide for the family.
We drove for three hours from Manila to reach KarlTzy’s hometown in the province of Rizal. And then, we hiked a hill beside a creek to reach the house where he grew up. His grandma’s house was at the very end of the hill. We were panting when we reached it. His family came in full support, praying for KarlTzy and Team Liquid’s victory at the M7 World Championship.
Inside, we were welcomed by his whole family of aunties, his parents, and his Grandma Benny, whom he affectionately calls “Mi,” short for “Mommy.”
In this neighborhood, we searched for core memories and little stories that shaped the man who became KarlTzy.
The Good and Naughty Sides of KarlTzy
Apparently, raising the GOAT is no different than raising an ordinary kid. Just like any of us, Karl got disciplined, spanked, and picked on at the computer shop he frequented.
But he was mostly a good kid.
“He’s such a well-behaved kid, he’s quiet, but when you call him to answer a question, he’s always able to answer,” his teacher told his Auntie Sheila.
He was a consistent honor student at school, and Grandma Benny was always the one who put the medals on Karl on the stage.
“They all know me at school because of Karl’s achievements. I’m even friends with the principal and his teachers,” said Grandma Benny.
But Karl also had his share of naughtiness as a child, mostly related to gaming.
“He would ask me for twelve pesos, so he could play for an hour at the computer shop. I would refuse and tell him to finish his homework first,” Grandma Benny told ALL-STAR.
“Karl told us he would cry for thirty minutes until you gave him twelve pesos. Is that true?” we asked.
Grandma Benny laughed—but didn’t exactly deny it.
“I really love him and his cousins,” she said sheepishly. Which, in short, meant yes: she usually caved when Karl turned on the tears.
But then again, isn’t that just how grandparents are?
“That’s my technique!” Karl told us while laughing.
KarlTzy’s Dad Made Him Choose: ‘Basketball or MLBB?’
There was a time when he was around 13 when his parents found out he hasn’t been sleeping at night because of playing mobile games.
“I would switch off the wifi,” said Gabby, his dad. “We didn’t realize how deeply immersed he already was in the game. His classes started at 6 a.m., yet he would sleep at 4 a.m. He’d wake up at 5:30 a.m., get himself ready, and still manage to get up. He was in Grade 7 then—only 13 years old.”
While walking through KarlTzy’s neighborhood, we found the old computer shop KarlTzy frequented, and talked to its former owner, Mike Aquino.
“He has a favorite PC, he would patiently wait for it to get vacant, even when there are other PCs available,” Mike said.
“He’s very insistent! Even when the person playing on that PC took ages to finish playing, he would still wait!”
We asked Mike about an unforgettable memory of KarlTzy.
“Oh, he’s very focused! When he’s in game, he’s super focused. Whatever he’s playing. He’s really good, and we witnessed that.”
Karina, Karl’s mom, would often get into arguments with her son, who kept insisting he was not being negligent of his studies.
“I would tell him, if you can place top 9th in class, you could still be number one if you focused on your studies!” Karina told ALL-STAR.
“Because his time was already being mixed with gaming. We would end up crying back then. I kept telling him, if you really concentrate on school, you won’t just be top 9.”
But Karl was stubborn.
“Ma, isn’t it okay with you that I’m top 9? I still placed. I’m not neglecting my studies,” Karl told his mom.
“Those were the reasons that made his father and me think—why not let Karl pursue gaming?”
Karl had been joining basketball leagues in the subdivision, and his father even had a friend who could coach him.
So he made him choose: “MLBB or basketball?”
Karl picked MLBB. And just like that, they let him run with it—and he didn’t stop playing.
A year later, at 15 years old, Karl Gabriel Nepomuceno, better known as KarlTzy, would make history as the youngest esports player in the Philippines to win in the Southeast Asian Games, earning his first MLBB moniker, “The Young GOAT.”
When KarlTzy Was Being Recruited as a Child Actor
We asked Grandma Benny if KarlTzy was a crybaby.
“A bit! Hahahahaha!” answered Grandma Benny.
After a pause—perhaps as penance for outing her grandson—she quickly added,
“He also sings very well! He’s a good dancer too!”
Now that’s information we have never heard or seen before. We’re pretty sure it’s information that would mortify KarlTzy today.
At school events, KarlTzy was always chosen to sing and dance. At six, he represented Singapore on United Nations Day. In the Philippines, schools celebrate UN Day with pageantry, as children don costumes representing different countries.
It was around this age when Karl was scouted to become a child actor.
“They wanted to recruit him as a child actor before because he looked like a young Dennis Trillo,” said Grandma Benny. Dennis Trillo is one of the matinee idols in the Philippines.
Gold Medals Don’t Change KarlTzy
Even at the peak of his career, Karl’s family sees the same boy who never forgot the basics: respect, humility, and faith.
“Even when he can buy anything he wants now, we always remind him to be respectful of his parents,” said his father, Gabby.
“We always remind him to always remember to pray and always be humble, that’s what’s important,” said Grandma Benny.
Every time KarlTzy comes home from boot camp, he comes back exhausted, wanting nothing more than to rest—from the game, from the competition, from the chase for gold medals.
“There was a time when he wanted to stop playing MLBB,” shared his Auntie Sheila.
KarlTzy was experiencing burnout from the demands of esports, and wanted to rest from playing MLBB for a while.
“One time, he came home, tired from all the scrims and the tournaments. But all his cousins were insisting he play MLBB with them. He still played with them, even though he was exhausted.”
This is one of the things not many people know about KarlTzy: When it comes to family, he is very generous with his time and his resources.
“Karl is very generous! When he comes home, he’ll have food delivered—on him. They’ll get fancy coffee, all on him. Karl is very generous.”
During a family gathering for the holidays, KarlTzy hosted a “game show” in which he provided all the prizes. He kept laughing at his cousins and aunties who tried very hard to win his wacky games.
“He’s just low-key,” Auntie Sheila says. “Sure, he used to trash-talk, but that’s not who he really is. What’s in his heart is honest, no sugarcoating. He’s a genuine kid, and that’s one thing I hope he never changes. What you see is what you get with Karl.”
KarlTzy Is A Very Loving and Strict Brother to His Sister
KarlTzy is not a very showy person when it comes to expressing his love for his family. But his actions speak for himself.
“Gayle, look! I bought myself a new computer! Do you want one too?” he would ask his little sister.
It was always like this whenever KarlTzy would buy something new. But if he wanted to tease her a little, he’d tell her, “Gayle, I got this on credit, ok? Pay me back when you can!”
But he would never ask her for payment. He would just tell her, “Study well, ok!”
It’s a different story when other boys are involved with his sister.
“Grumpy! Yeah, he can be grumpy,” says his mom, Karina.
“If someone starts liking his younger sibling, he’s the first one to report it. “Ma, talk to Gayle! There’s a boy who’s flirting with her!’” said Karina.
“He’s the one doing the tattling!”
In the Nepomuceno household, being the GOAT of MLBB might be KarlTzy’s claim to fame, but being a caring, strict, and fun older brother? That’s KarlTzy’s real-life legacy.
From MLBB to the Kitchen: KarlTzy the Chef
Right now, KarlTzy is in his third year in college, taking up BSHM, majoring in Culinary Arts.
“He’s a really good cook!” his mom Karina says.
This is the part of KarlTzy’s life that’s only usually open to people very close to him, like his girlfriend Kate, who would send videos of Karl’s dishes to his parents.
“They’re all delicious! He’s already cooked dishes that even surprise me, and Kate vlogs them,” Karina added.
One more year in college, and KarlTzy will graduate.
Not many esports athletes are able to juggle their professional careers with the demands of college life. But that’s the one non-negotiable for KarlTzy’s parents.
“Our constant demand to the organizations that took KarlTzy in has always been: don’t let Karl’s studies fall by the wayside,” Karina told ALL-STAR.
KarlTzy is the prime example that it’s possible to juggle education and esports.
It shows that being the GOAT of MLBB doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice everything else in life. With discipline, focus, and the right support, you can chase your dreams and still pursue your education.
He’s generous, low-key, and honest, the kind of kid who doesn’t sugarcoat anything—not in game, not in life. The guy who can destroy teams in MLBB still delivers coffee to his cousins and makes sure everyone eats. That’s KarlTzy: big on the leaderboard, bigger in the little things that really matter.
KarlTzy is the GOAT, sure. But back home, he’s still that kid who listens to his grandma, trolls his sister, and laughs with his cousins over ridiculous “game shows” he hosted. Gold medals, world championships—they don’t change him. And that’s a good thing.
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