Justin: The Pro Player Who Respawned as a Journalist

If you thought being a pro gamer was all glam, streams, and sponsorships, meet Justin, a former Mobile Legends pro from Myanmar who’s now chasing stories instead of kills. He showed up at the M7 World Championship in Jakarta not with a gaming phone in hand, but a mic, a press pass, and probably a lot of caffeine.

“Hello, I am Justin from Myanmar. I used to be a pro player but now I am taking a break.”

Yes, “taking a break” is gamer-speak for “I survived esports and now I want to see if the other side of life is even weirder.” Spoiler: it is.

The Hardest Game? Life.

Justin doesn’t sugarcoat it: being a pro is a grind.

“For me, being a pro player is the hardest part of life. We win sometimes, we lose sometimes, and we don’t have much free time.”

Translation: sometimes you eat, sometimes you sleep, sometimes you play 16 hours straight praying your internet doesn’t die mid-fight.

So he hit pause.

“I am taking a break and I ask myself, should I go back to being a pro player? Should I do another career? Now I am testing another career, I am doing content, media. I stream.”

Think of it as “Justin: The Beta Test Version.”

Family Dreams vs. Justin’s Schemes

Justin grew up in a classic “my parents’ dream vs. my brain cells” scenario.

“Actually, when I was young, I wanted to be a doctor but that was my parents’ dream for me, not mine.”

Cue the middle-child energy:

“Yes, I am the middle child. One older brother and one younger brother.”

His folks run a rice business. Solid, respectable, and completely unprepared for a kid declaring he wants to play mobile games for a living.

“They have a business, they are a rice dealer.”

Medicine? Out. Networking? In. Computer Science it is.

“I thought I wanted to be a doctor, but I didn’t. I want to be a network engineer. I decided to study Computer Science.”

Living alone, studying, grinding esports, streaming—basically, Justin is collecting responsibilities like they’re rare skins.

“I’m living by myself. And I am studying in college in Myanmar. I am taking up Computer Science.”

Convincing the Parents

If you think arguing with your parents about videogames is easy, Justin says try it at 16 with your housing on the line.

“Actually, it was so hard because the first time I joined a tournament, they didn’t accept me. They said if I fail the exams, they would kick me out of the house. I was just 16 years old at the time.”

But he played the long game. Win tournaments, pass exams, look slightly less like a liability.

“After that, when I became a champion, and I was able to adjust my time for education and esports, that was the time they accepted me and supported me. I kept winning and I did not fail my exams.”

Parents happy, ego intact, exams passed—classic “gamer diplomacy.”

Myanmar Esports: Not All Fun and Games

Watching Myanmar esports might look like a glittering spectacle, but Justin says reality bites.

“Actually. Compared to other countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia, it’s quite hard. The players’ income is so low.”

Prize pools? Tiny. Salaries? Laughable. Dreaming of making bank? Good luck.

“If you don’t get a placement in the tournament like top 1 or top 2, the prize pool is so low.”

“The only income sources for a pro player in Myanmar are only the prize pool and salary, and the salary is so, so low compared to other countries.”

And MPL? Forget it. Players are begging for it like it’s the holy grail.

“It’s almost like four or five years since we’ve had MPL in Myanmar. Players are disappearing. MPL is very important to our region because that’s a professional league. Other top tournaments are not good enough… MPL privileges are much more important to players.”

Trophy = status symbol, bragging rights = eternal.

“The trophy is so cool, you know? For me, I didn’t get an MPL championship. But earning that privilege would be so cool.”

Life on the Other Side of the Microphone

Now, Justin is running around Jakarta getting interviews instead of chasing kills. Spoiler: it’s way more exhausting than gaming.

“Actually, this job is a bit tiring. Waiting for the player, getting interviews, running around every now and then. It’s quite tiring compared to being a pro player. As a pro player, I only played games.”

The role reversal hit his ego first.

“At first, I had some ego. I used to get interviewed but now I am the one who asks players for interviews.”

But, as they say in esports: adapt or rage quit.

“But this is life. You gotta do what you gotta do. For me, I have actually accepted it.”

Side Hustle Mode: Activated

Justin isn’t just playing journalist. He’s experimenting, testing new skins of himself.

“I decided to do this job because I wanted to explore other careers and expand my network.”

Panelist? Streaming? Content creation? Journalist? Check, check, check, check.

“After taking a break from being a pro player, I’m doing side jobs like being a panelist, streaming, content creation, being a journalist. I want to explore more, and I am going to choose the career that I like the most, so I have a choice.”

One Year from Now: The Dream

House? Check. Car? Check. Ego intact? Hopefully.

“I am going to buy a house and buy a car, I think!”

Justin reminds us that sometimes winning isn’t about top 1, top 2, or the flashy stats.

From pro player to journalist, he’s collecting XP in real life. And honestly, he’s just getting started.