PART I: The Making of K1NGKONG the Breadwinner

Playful, clingy, and never one to shy away from a harmless prank or a little trouble—that’s how we have come to know King Cyric “K1NGKONG” Perez of ONIC Philippines.

But behind the mischievous personality, the jokes, and the chaos he brings, who is K1NGKONG when the cameras are turned off, the spotlight dims, and the deafening roar of the crowd fades into the background?

No one knows him better than those who raised him and have been his best buff all along in life: his parents, Zayfrin and Roderick.

The Breadwinner
Before he became the player everyone knows, King was simply the eldest son—the boy who wanted his family complete.

There are some memories parents carry so clearly that, years later, they can still see their children exactly as they were.

King was that kind of child—clingy, affectionate, and loving.

As the eldest of three children, King grew up watching Zayfrin and Roderick work hard to provide for their family. His mother worked as an operations manager at an electronics company, while his father was a warehouse supervisor.

After nearly 25 years of working to provide for their children, his parents are no longer working, making King’s promise to help support the family more meaningful.

And when the possibility came that his parents might leave for Germany to work in 2023, King suddenly had to confront something he had never wanted to imagine: a home without them.

Zayfrin remembers how King begged them not to leave, promising to take care of his brother and sister and support their studies so the family could stay together.

And they listened to him.

“Nagusap kaming mag-asawa na siguro kaya naman natin kasi ang tagal naman natin nagtrabaho. Sinabi ni King na ‘Mommy, ako ang bahala sa mga kapatid ko. Kung anong gusto niyang course, go, akong bahala. Kaya natin ‘yan, mommy, akong bahala sa inyo,’” Zayfrin told ALL-STAR.

Years later, that young man has fulfilled his promise and helped build the life he wanted for his family.

He is now helping support his brother Frinz, who is studying pre-med at the University of Santo Tomas, and his younger sister Jade Erika, who is still in high school.

Zayfrin also recalled King telling his siblings that they could ask him for anything they needed, knowing he was always just one chat away.

But while his parents were touched by how deeply he cared for his family, they also worried about the weight he was so willing to carry—responsibilities they believed should still be theirs.

“Minsan nahihiya kami syempre, anak namin tapos biglang ibigay ‘yung mundo sa aming pamilya. Ang sarap pakinggan kasi sa ganiyang edad niya kami ‘yung iniisip niya. Pero, hindi naman namin inaasa ‘yung buhay namin sa kaniya. Kay King kasi hindi nagma-matter ang pera kumbaga, ang iniisip niya ‘yung magiging future din ng mga kapatid niya,” Zayfrin said.

Before King could become the one his family could depend on, he first had to fight for a chance to chase a dream of his own.

Finding a Purpose
Before being a professional player became King’s career, Mobile Legends was simply the game King loved. Eventually, he began seeing something more in it while his parents couldn’t.

To Zayfrin and Roderick, esports was still unfamiliar territory. They couldn’t understand how playing Mobile Legends could become a career.

His father remembers vividly how King was so determined to pursue esports that he told them that if they would not drop him off at the bootcamp, he would run away.

They wanted their eldest son to graduate with a degree and the security of knowing he had a stable future ahead of him.

King, however, believed in his own dreams.

He eventually asked his mother to help convince his strict and reluctant father to give him a chance. But his parents gave him an ultimatum. 

If it did not work out, King would have to return to school.

But there was another reason they eventually decided to give him a chance.

Zayfrin and Roderick feared that denying King the opportunity to try would leave him wondering for years what might have been, perhaps even leading him to resent them someday.

“Tsaka sabi ko, passion niya ‘yan. Naisip kasi namin na kapag hindi namin siya pinayagan, baka sisihin niya kami na hindi namin siya binigyan ng chance,” Zayfrin said.

They eventually said yes.

At the time, they had no idea that the decision would eventually become a turning point in their son’s life.

You’re On Your Own, Kid
His parents knew almost nothing about esports—or the world their son was about to enter when he first started. So they went to the bootcamp themselves.

Zayfrin, meanwhile, remained a worried mother. She had never sent her son away like this before, and she knew very little about the environment he was entering.

“First time namin iwan ‘yung anak ko. Araw-araw kami nagchat-chat sa kaniya. Kasi iniisip ko na baka mamaya pag tulog niya, saksakin siya. Syempre, nanay ako naiisip ko ‘yung mga ganun,” Zayfrin recalled.

So they checked on him constantly.

They asked for pictures, they talked to him every day. They made sure he had eaten and knew where he was.

It was a new chapter for King, but his parents were still figuring out how to be parents from a distance.

What His Parents Taught Him
As King grew older and began finding his own way, he carried the lessons he learned from his parents with him.

He had watched them work. He had seen every sacrifice they made for their children and he understood the value of money long before he ever started earning it himself.

Their family was never one to take anything for granted. Zayfrin and Roderick taught their children to be practical, to value what they had, and to understand that every sacrifice had a purpose.

“Halos 25 years kami na nagtrabaho, alam niya ‘yung mga sacrifice namin na nakita niya sa paglaki, ilang bagyo na ‘yung mga sinuong namin na pumapasok kami sa trabaho,” Roderick said.

But as proud as they are of the son he has become, his parents worry that he has learned to give so much of himself that he might forget to choose himself, too.

They still remind him to save. They know esports will not last forever, and they want him to be prepared for whatever comes after the game.

For all the things King is willing to do for his family, his parents still want him to think about his own future, too.

Never Stop Showing Up
The same parents who once struggled to understand why their son wanted to pursue his dreams in esports are now among the people who never miss a chance to watch him play, wearing their son’s jersey and cheering his name loudly.

If there were an attendance check for King’s parents, they would have a perfect record.

“Hanggat kaya naming manood at hangga’t nandiyan siya, magsu-support kami, kahit bumagyo, kahit malayo pa ‘yan, para lang mapakita sa kaniya na nandito lang kami lagi,” Zayfrin said.

“Kahit bumagyo, basta kaya kong mag-drive, pupuntahan ko,” Roderick said.

Their support, however, means the most not only when King wins, but also when he has to face disappointment.

During MPL Philippines Season 17, ONIC Philippines came within one win of qualifying for the MSC 2026 in Paris. When their campaign ended, King struggled to hold back his tears, covering his face as the disappointment sank in. As he and his teammates exited the arena for the final time that season, he embraced his mother.

Zayfrin was hurting, too. But in an interview with ALL-STAR, she revealed that she tried not to let King see her crying because she knew that if he saw her tears, he would cry, too.

For all the ways King has grown into someone his family can depend on, he will always be their son—the boy they want to comfort when the world becomes too heavy.

Years ago, supporting King meant giving him the chance to find out if esports could become something more. Now, it means being there to watch how far that chance has taken him.

They may no longer need to worry about whether King can make it on his own. But they will always be there to remind him that he doesn’t have to.

King once struggled to imagine a life without his parents beside him.

Then he grew up, found his own path, and became someone living the life he once dreamed of for himself and his family.

But no matter how much he grows, Zayfrin and Roderick will keep showing up—because some things never change.

Growing up never meant growing apart or forgetting where you came from.