The Untold Story of Oheb

For someone who’s cemented his reputation as one of the world’s deadliest gold laners and a player full of swagger, Kiel “Oheb” Soriano, aka The Filipino Sniper, uttered words we never expected: “Kinakabahan ako,” (I’m nervous). 

For the first time in his esports career, he was in unfamiliar water when he transferred to Team Liquid Philippines, formerly ECHO—his former team’s greatest rival. 

“Kinakabahan ako na excited at marami pa ring gustong patunayan.”

(I’m nervous and excited because there are still many things I want to prove.)

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In January 2025, Tier One Entertainment shocked the esports world when it announced the end of the road for their MPL Philippines team, Blacklist International, Oheb’s team since Season 7.

But it only took one game with Team Liquid for them to realize they are a perfect fit for each other. “Noong naglaro na kami, solid yung chemistry namin, parang matagal na kaming naglalarong magkasama,” Oheb told ALL-STAR. 

(When we started playing, our chemistry was solid—it felt like we had been playing together for a long time.)

Oheb: ‘Kinalimutan ko na lahat ng achievements ko.’

Blacklist International is a cornerstone of Philippine esports, redefining what it means to be a professional player. Through every hard-fought victory, Oheb stood at the heart of it all—securing three MPL Philippines championships and the prestigious M3 World Championship title.

But Oheb has shed all that acclaim when he stepped foot in Liquid’s boot camp. 

“Kinalimutan ko na lahat ng mga achievements ko at mga narating ko,” said Oheb. 

“Gusto ko lang ng fresh start, gusto ko ng magandang team na walang toxicity, yung masaya lang kaming naglalaro. Gusto ko lang makita na ineenjoy talaga namin yung game. 

(I have forgotten all my achievements and everything I have reached. I just want a fresh start with a good team without any toxicity, a team that just has fun playing together. I just want us to enjoy the game.)

“Pinaglaban talaga ako ni Dexstar.”

Oheb may have forgotten all his achievements but he hasn’t forgotten the people behind Blacklist International. 

“Pinaka pinasasalamatan ko sa buong career ko mula Season 7 ay yung Blacklist, lalo na si Dex na unang kumuha sa akin.” 

(What I am most grateful for in my entire career since Season 7 is Blacklist, especially Dex who first recruited me.)

Initially, Blacklist International did not want to recruit Oheb, but it was Coach Dexstar Alaba who fought hard for him and put his reputation at stake for someone who had no name and no achievements. 

“Sino ba namang team ang kukuha ng player na hindi sila sure na magaling, di ba?” said Oheb. 

(What team would sign a player they’re not sure is good, right?)

“Pero si Dextstar, pinaglaban talaga niya ako na bigyan nila ako ng chance na maglaro at makapag perform ako noong panahong walang tiwala sa akin ang ibang tao. Wala akong napapatunayan at wala akong pangalan, pero pinaglaban talaga ako ni Dex.”

(Dextstar really fought for me to be given a chance to play and prove myself at a time when others didn’t believe in me. I had nothing to show and no name to my credit, but Dex truly stood up for me.)

On Dexstar’s word alone, decision-makers at Blacklist International hired Oheb. He pleaded for the team to allow Oheb to play in the MPL and then judge his performance if he really deserved to be on the team. 

The rest was history.

“Thankful ako kay Dex at sa Tier One dahil binigyan nila ako ng chance na makapaglaro at mapunta ako rito kung nasaan ako ngayon. Naglalaro pa rin ako ngayon at nagagawa ko yung mga gusto ko dahil sa kanila. Sobrang thankful po talaga ako,” said Oheb. 

“Thankful din ako sa lahat ng mga naging teammates ko, dahil kung hindi dahil sa kanila, hindi kami mananalo at wala rin ako rito.”

(I’m thankful to Dex and Tier One for giving me the chance to play and for bringing me to where I am today. I’m still playing and doing what I love because of them. I’m truly very grateful. I am also thankful for my teammates because if not for them, we wouldn’t win and I wouldn’t be here.)

* * * 

Oheb was only 16 when Blacklist International took a chance on him. 

Two years later, he was burned out without realizing it. 

“Naiisip ko mag-retire noon kapag napapagod na ako. Sobrang down an down ko na noon sa laro na naisip ko na lang na magpahinga.”

But he also found rescue within himself. 

“Naging practical na lang ako sa isip ko noon. Naisip ko, napakaraming tao ang gustong mapunta sa posisyon ko, pero ako, papakawalan ko pa ba?” said Oheb.

“Sobrang daming taong nangangarap mapunta sa posisyon kung nasaan kami, bakit ko pababayaan yung sarili ko para mawala doon?”

We asked him to look back at the time when he first came into esports. 

“Ang pinakaunang naaalala kong tournament na sinalihan ko dati, sa bayan nam in sa Tarlac. Yung offline na Smart Play tapos P10,000 yung prize. Naalala ko sumalli kami ng mga kaibigan ko,” said Oheb. 

That was in 2019, his very first Mobile Legends: Bang Bang tournament. After that win, he joined more community tournaments sponsored by Smart.

One of his most unforgettable ones was when they lost a tournament in Tarlac and they had no money for the trip home. They planned to use the prize money for the commute home. 

“Naaalala ko pa dati, sumali kami sa tournament sa SM tapos natalo kami. Hindi namin alam kung papaano kami uuwi kasi wala kaming pera.”

(I still remember when we joined a tournament at SM and lost. We had no idea how we were going to get home because we didn’t have any money.)

Despite his mother discouraging him from playing too much, Oheb swallowed his pride and called her. He received the scolding of his life. But just like any mother who’d do anything for her son, she still aided him. 

“Tumawag ako sa Mama ko, ‘Nay, wala kaming pamasahe, pwede ba kaming pasundo?’ Tapos nagalit siya sa akin. Ayun daw ang napapala ko, wala daw akong napapala sa paglalaro.”

(I called my mom and said, “Ma, we don’t have fare money. Can you pick us up?” She got mad at me and said that’s what I get for playing—that I was getting nothing out of it.)

It took a long time for Oheb’s parents to be convinced of a viable career in esports for their son. To be fair, esports at that time was practically unheard of and commonly confused with gambling. 

“Noong na-explain ko sa kanila na hindi na basta-basta yung lalaruan ko, hindi na siya amateur scene, professional scene na talaga ito at pwede ka talaga kumita ng malaking pera, sinuportahan na nila ako. Ang pinaka concern kasi nila ay kung may mapapala ba talaga ako sa ginagawa ko,” Oheb said. 

(When I explained to them that I wasn’t just playing casually anymore—that this wasn’t the amateur scene but the professional scene where I could actually earn a lot of money—they started supporting me. Their biggest concern was whether I would really get something out of what I was doing.)

More than five years after joining his first esports tournament in SM, was esports anyting Oheb expected it to be? 

“So far, nagawa naman ng esports ang trabaho niya, napaunlad niya ang mga players, marami na ring naging future-secured na players. Maraming naitulong ang esports sa mga players ngayon, especially sa akin na wala naman akong ibang plano dati. Nag-eenjoy lang talaga akong maglaro nang maglaro ng games.”

(So far, esports has done its job—it has helped players grow, and many have secured their future through it. Esports has made a huge impact on players today, especially for someone like me who didn’t have any other plans before. I just genuinely enjoyed playing games.)

* * *

‘Akala ng mga tao, mayabang si Oheb.’

ALL-STAR quietly observed Oheb during our visits to the Team Liquid boot camp. During his first days on tryouts, he was shy and unsure around the boot camp, but quite respectful and mindful of everyone. 

“Napakabait na bata pala ni Oheb!” an executive told us. “Napakagalang, at walang yabang. Napakaayos rin niyang kausap, very mature. Akala ng mga tao, mayabang si Oheb. ”

(Oheb is such a kind kid! He’s very respectful and humble. He also communicates well, he’s very mature. People think Oheb is arrogant.)

Even KarlTzy has grown fond of Oheb. 

“Siya po pinakamakulit sa amin,” said KarlTzy when we asked about how Oheb is inside the boot camp. 

Oheb is often misunderstood and misjudged. 

“Sinasabihan ako na mayabang ako. Pero sa totoo, lalo ngayon, sobrang nagpapakabait po ako. Ayoko ng may kaaway, para kapag nag exit ako, malinis lang ang lahat. Kasi masaya rin, kunwari, pagtanda ko, yung mga nakasama ko dati, ang sarap balikan ng mga nakasama mo dati.”

(People say I’m arrogant. But honestly, especially now, I’m really trying to be kind. I don’t want any enemies so that when I eventually exit, everyone is on good terms. It’s also nice to look back when I’m older and reconnect with the people I played with before.)

The Most Important Lesson Oheb Learned in Esports: Be Kind

As Oheb reflected on his storied career,  he remembered one lesson he always carries. 

“Ang pinakamalaking aral na nakuha ko sa esports ay maging mabait mga tao, sa lahat ng mga nakakatrabaho,” Oheb told ALL-STAR.  

(The biggest lesson I’ve learned from esports is to be kind to people—to everyone I work with.)

He knows he also had his shortcomings, especially when it comes to managing his emotions. He considers it his biggest challenge in the past. 

“Sa career ko, kailangan mo talaga ma-control yung emosyon mo. Ang daming pwedeng maapektuhan, outside the game, in-game, your teammates, kapag wala kang control sa emotions mo. Dati nadala ako ng emosyon ko, may mga nagawa akong pagkakamali sa mga bagay dati, at iyon talaga yung tumatak sa akin,” said Oheb. 

(In my career, you really need to control your emotions. So many things can be affected—outside the game, in-game, and even your teammates—if you can’t manage them. In the past, I let my emotions get the best of me, and I made mistakes because of it. That’s something that really stuck with me.)

“Dapat hindi maging toxic sa mga nakakatrabaho. Magre-reflect din iyon sa iyo kung mayroon ka mang naging ka-toxic sa mga teammates mo. Babalik din talaga sa iyo. Kahit maghiwa-hiwalay kayo, magma-matter pa rin yung mga masasabi nila tungkol sa iyo,” said Oheb.

(You shouldn’t be toxic toward the people you work with. If you’ve been toxic to your teammates, it will reflect on you, and it will come back to you. Even if you go your separate ways, what they say about you will still matter.)

Oheb has forgotten his achievements, proven his skill, silenced his doubters, and rewritten his story—but in the end, the greatest flex is staying humble.