KarlTzy Grew With MLBB and Now He Chases His Most Ambitious Dream Yet

Seven years ago, Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno was part of the Philippine national team when MLBB made its debut as a medal event at the 2019 SEA Games and now, he finds himself in another chapter of the game’s history.

At the 20th Asian Games, MLBB is making its official medal-event debut, giving KarlTzy another opportunity to represent the Philippines on an even bigger multi-sport stage.

From a young prodigy to one of MLBB’s most accomplished players, KarlTzy has grown alongside the game. And as MLBB continues to reach bigger stages, so do his ambitions—this time, toward the Olympics.

A Dream Beyond Gold
KarlTzy has already watched MLBB break into some of the biggest sporting stages in the region and now he is looking even further ahead.

“Sana naman sa next, mapili din kami sa Olympics kaya gagalingan talaga namin,” KarlTzy told ALL-STAR.

For KarlTzy, the Olympics may still be a dream, but after watching MLBB progress from the SEA Games to the Asian Games, he has already seen how quickly one milestone can lead to another.

And if that opportunity ever comes, he wants to be there.

KarlTzy has seen firsthand how far MLBB has come.

In 2019, he was among the players who represented the Philippines when esports made its debut as a medal event at the SEA Games, with MLBB among the titles featured in the historic event.

KarlTzy made history that year as he helped the Philippines claim the inaugural MLBB gold medal at the SEA Games.

Six years later, he returned to the national team and added a second gold medal to his collection at the 2025 SEA Games, where SIBOL swept Malaysia, 4-0, in the finals.

That made KarlTzy a two-time SEA Games gold medalist in MLBB.

Now, less than a year later, he is back on the national team, this time for MLBB’s first official medal-event appearance at the Asian Games.

For KarlTzy, the moment carries a sense of pride—not just because he gets another opportunity to represent the Philippines, but because he has been part of the game’s journey from one major multi-sport stage to another.

“Sobrang natutuwa ako and sobrang napa-proud ako sa narating ng ML kasi ako din ‘yung first sa SEA Games. Ngayon sa Asian Games naman ako magre-represent,” KarlTzy said.

And with two SEA Games gold medals already in his collection, another piece of history now awaits in Japan.

Turning the Grind Into Momentum
The journey to Japan comes after a hectic stretch for KarlTzy and Team Liquid PH.

The defending MPL Philippines champions had to navigate a packed Week 5 schedule, playing three matches before shifting their focus to national team duties.

Rather than treating the schedule as a challenge, KarlTzy saw it as valuable preparation. For him, the matches could provide something just as important as rest: momentum heading into Japan.

“Good thing lang din ’to na nakakapagbatak kami. Kaya okay lang para sa akin,” KarlTzy said.

Team Liquid PH finished the previous MPL week at the top of the standings with an 8-2 record, giving KarlTzy and his teammates valuable competitive preparation heading into the Asian Games.

Instead of slowing him down, the grind gave KarlTzy and the SIBOL squad something to carry into Japan: momentum.

Drowning Out the Noise
The Asian Games campaign comes after a heartbreaking international experience for KarlTzy and Team Liquid PH.

At MSC 2026, the team suffered an early exit after failing to win a single match or game. For KarlTzy, however, the disappointment also changed the way he approached the expectations surrounding him.

The expectations surrounding his status as one of MLBB’s all-time greats no longer carry the same weight.

“After ng loss namin sa MSC, parang nawalan na ako ng pakialam sa mga sasabihin ng tao.”

The noise that once occupied his mind no longer matters as much. What matters to KarlTzy now is just focusing on winning.

That mindset has also changed the question of what KarlTzy still has to prove. He has already won MPL titles, world championships, two SEA Games gold medals, and MSC.

So what keeps a great player pushing when so many boxes have already been checked? For KarlTzy, it is not another accolade. It is the opportunity to keep competing.

Still Chasing Greatness
Leaving the noise behind does not mean losing the hunger to compete. If anything, it has brought him back to the simplest reason he keeps playing: he still wants to be on the stage.

“Siguro yung kagustuhan ko maglaro sa stage and mag-compete.”

After everything he has achieved, KarlTzy still wants to play. Still wants to chase whatever comes next.

And when asked what he wants to continue pursuing even after accomplishing almost everything he has wanted in MLBB, he answered with a single word.

“Greatness.”

That pursuit now brings him to Aichi-Nagoya, where another gold medal is waiting.

KarlTzy identified Indonesia, Myanmar, and Malaysia as the major threats to SIBOL’s gold-medal campaign, while also noting that the current meta has made the field more balanced.

The mission is clear: bring home the gold no matter what. 

Perhaps that is what makes KarlTzy’s journey so compelling.

For all the medals, championships and milestones, he is still chasing something he cannot hold in his hands yet.

A future where MLBB stands on an Olympic stage.

He was already there when the game made history at the SEA Games. He is there again when MLBB takes its first official medal step at the Asian Games.

And if the day ever comes when MLBB gets to take one more step in the Olympics, KarlTzy wants to make sure he is still there—growing with the game, representing the Philippines, and doing what he has always wanted to do.