KurtTzy is Master of the Mid

KurtTzy’s daring Fanny flex shook up MPL Singapore.

During the final week of the regular season of MPL Singapore, Filipino mid laner prodigy Kurt Matira, aka KurtTzy, gave a dazzling spectacle using an unconventional hero for his position: Fanny. 

In Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), Fanny is the most difficult hero to master, with regular players taking one to two years of playing Fanny before they master her cables. But there is one lane that’s incredibly difficult for Fanny users: the Mid Lane. 

Fanny as a Mid Laner According to KurtTzy

The Mid Lane is a challenging route for Fanny users because the wall spacing makes it difficult for Fanny to maneuver with her cables accurately. There is too much space and too few walls. Fanny is also designed to be a jungler, so her skills are optimized for creep and hero killing, not minion clearing. 

KurtTzy defies these odds. 

“Lagi ko pong ginagamit sa Singapore server na ranked game si Fanny. Nagustuhan po ng manager namin, kaya sinubukan po sa MPL,” KurtTzy told ALL-STAR. 

Back when KurtTzy was playing for Geek Fam, he played jungler using Assassin heroes. Among his mains were Gusion and Fanny, two of the most mechanically demanding characters in MLBB. 

“It feels good to be back,” said KurtTzy on getting a chance to play Assassin roles once again. 

Ideally, mid laners have fast wave-clearing abilities so they can quickly aid their teammates in other lanes once the mid lane is cleared. 

But Fanny isn’t such a hero with fast minion-killing abilities. 

KurtTzy disagrees. 

“Pwede naman siyang i-try, mid laner Fanny. Para sa akin, mabilis siya mag-clear ng minion waves saka mabilis mag rotate. Pagka-clear mo ng first wave, okay na yun kasi pwede ka umuwi pabalik-balik.”

(“You can try it, mid laner Fanny. For me, she clears minion waves fast, and she is very mobile around the map. Once you cleared the first wave, that’s it. You can go back and forth from the base.”)

“There’s a big difference in the metas of the Philippines and Singapore because the Philippines is so much ahead than Singapore in terms of the meta,” said KurtTzy. “The Philippines is just more focused on Mobile Legends than Singapore,” he added. 

KurtTzy’s Life in Singapore

“Goods naman yung mga tao at pagkain sa Singapore,” said KurtTzy. “Parehas lang sa Pilipinas.”

(“Everything is good here in Singapore, the people and the food. It’s just like the Philippines.”)

ALL-STAR asked KurtTzy what’s the most difficult part of being an OFW esports player. 

“Yung immigration po. Sobrang daming tanong at ang hirap sumagot,” he said.

(“Immigration is difficult because they ask a lot of questions and it’s hard to answer in English.”)

KurtTzy is a man of few words and is usually very shy during interviews. He gets nervous speaking to anyone.

“Lagi po ako kinakabahan sa immigration. Minsan po inaabot mga five to ten minutes, minsan nahaharang ako.”

(“I feel nervous at immigration. Sometimes, it takes five to ten minutes, one time, I got held up.”)

But when he reaches Singapore, he sometimes feels homesick. 

“Marami akong namimiss, mga pagkain. Sisig!”

(“I miss a lof of Filipino food, like sisig!”)

KurtTzy hates beef, it makes him gag. “Malangsa” is how he used to describe beef to us. His aversion toward beef is notorious, his previous boot camp in ECHO had instructions on the kitchen wall for the cook that read: “Someone here does not eat beef. If you cook beef, he will request hotdogs or eggs.”

But will KurtTzy come back to the Philippines? 

“Depende, kung may mag-ooffer.” (“It depends if anyone offers.”)

KurtTzy used to play for ECHO in MPL Philippines from Season 9 to 11 but he was replaced by Alston “Sanji” Pabico in Season 12. He moved to ECHO’s MDL team, which won back-to-back championships in Season 1 and Season 2 of MDL Philippines. 

Did he feel threatened or sad when the much younger Sanji replaced him in ECHO’s main 5 roster? 

“That’s normal. I always side with whatever is the best fit for the team, and Sanji was the best fit,” said KurtTzy. 

KurtTzy currently plays Mid Laner for Ninjas in Pyjamas x Team Flash (NIP Flash) in Singapore.