Teddyqt Almost Made It to Team Liquid’s Main 5

Dave Viaña, aka Teddyqt catapulted to national prominence in esports after his explosive plays in the gold lane during the grand finals of the SIBOL MLBB Qualifiers of Asian Games on May 15. 

Yet hardly anyone in the broader community knows his name. Still, many are already calling for Team Liquid to promote him from the MDL to the MPL. 

After his recent performance dismantling Team Falcons in the grand finals of the SIBOL Asian Games Qualifiers, the idea no longer feels far-fetched.

Teddyqt Was One of The Names Considered

Teddyqt was actually one of the names in Mitch Liwanag’s list of gold laners when the team suddenly found itself in need of a new gold laner after Oheb’s alleged resignation on February 6—just days before all the league’s rosters were locked. 

“During that time, I presented several possible gold laner options to our MPL players before the roster lock, and Teddyqt was actually part of that list,” Mitch Liwanag, regional head of esports of Team Liquid, told ALL-STAR. 

But the stakes are high because Season 17 is the qualifier for the Esports World Cup (EWC), which has a prize pool of $3 million. 

“Since it is also the EWC season, the players understandably preferred someone with more veteran experience and proven results,” said Liwanag. “Given the level of competitiveness and the limited preparation time, their decision made sense.”

Teddyqt had been seriously considered for Team Liquid’s MPL team. But with the roster lock looming on February 15, they had little time for an extended tryout.

“Finding a gold laner who can keep up with the team’s pace and adapt to the established playstyle has been a significant challenge for us,” said Liwanag. 

Teddyqt remained in MDL. 

Only 5 Business Days to Secure a Gold Laner

“The situation was also quite challenging on our end. We only had five business days to secure a gold laner for our MPL Team. By that point, most teams were already roster-locked,” Liwanag shared.

Desperate for a gold laner, Team Liquid offered to buy out a number of players. It reached out to several foreign teams, since local teams had already finalized their rosters in the MPL and MDL even before the official date of roster lock.

“We explored the possibility of doing a last-minute buyout, but organizations declined since their lineups were already finalized,” Liwanag told ALL-STAR. 

But the situation shifted. SIBOL announced it would overhaul its Asian Games lineup. It was after head coach Tony Senedrin stepped down and gold laner Kelra moved to Indonesia. SIBOL then opened new qualifiers for a Filipino coach, analyst, and players. 

Team Liquid sent in their usual cavalry, but with Teddyqt in the main five. 

“That gave us the chance to put Teddyqt into the lineup and finally see his potential on a bigger stage,” said Liwanag. “He stepped up to the challenge, and fortunately for us, everything worked out—we won.”

Teddyqt’s Esports Journey

Prior to playing for Team Liquid, Teddyqt was a part of Uncle Drew x Gamerpact roster that competed in MDL Philippines. 

His profile grew stronger in 2024 and 2025 as he began posting deeper tournament runs. He captured a title in RMC Season 8 in 2024 and followed it up with several notable finishes. That included runner-up in RMC Season 9 and a 3rd–4th place finish in MDL Philippines Season 6. 

“At that time, we made the difficult decision to disband our MDL team because we truly believed in the potential of the Uncle Drew lineup,” Mitch Liwanag told ALL-STAR. 

“They were very strong in the amateur scene. They had a great work ethic, and were incredibly hardworking,” she added.

“More importantly, you could really feel that they had something to prove, which made us confident about their future.” 

Dave “Teddyqt” Viaña has steadily built his competitive résumé through the Philippines’ development-league ecosystem. He competed in qualifiers, grassroots tournaments, and the Mobile Legends Development League (MDL). As of 2026, he plays for Team Liquid Academy PH, the academy roster of Team Liquid PH.

“HE JUST GOOD!” SIBOL MLBB Head Coach Allec Alvarado, aka Coach Sn4p, told ALL-STAR. 

“Just give him any hero, he can play it,” he added. 

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