ONIC PH Boss Reflects on the Side of Esports No One’s Told You About

Five years ago, Rafael Sanchez was a wide-eyed fresh graduate from a posh business school when he landed a job as a manager of an esports team. 

Back then, MLBB esports was nothing like it is today. 

“This place is like the fucking Wild, Wild West!” 

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Sanchez was recreating the antics of a certain “Madam Tammy,” who helped establish and institutionalize certain standards for esports in the Philippines. Esports was not anything he expected it to be. 

But Sanchez and Tammy were right to call it the “Wild, Wild, West.”

Anything just went. 

“Back then, parang kapa-kapa lahat. Yes, there was a structure, but it wasn’t as rigid or professional as it is now,” Sanchez told ALL-STAR. 

We know how far esports has come. In its earlier days, contracts were loose or worse, missing. Team houses were glorified bedspacer units, and the concept of player management was practically nonexistent. You learned everything on the fly. You fought for sponsorships like a broken startup pitching to investors, and you dealt with egos, burnouts, and young talents who didn’t fully understand the weight of being a pro.

As we reminisced, all Sanchez could say was, “Tangina,” and looked away and laughed, as if he remembered something criminally funny. 

Esports in the Philippines has come a very long way since 2020. And it still has a very long way to go.

“If you compare the esports landscape of the Philippines with Indonesia’s, we are so far behind,” said Sanchez.

“Here, there are so many complicated things you have to go through before you can get a deal done, or the team needs to prove itself before a deal is sealed, or if there’s a deal, it’s not monetary but an x-deal. So it’s like everything really depends on how well you do as a team. The term that a lot of esports owners or heads say is you win or you go bust. I think that is true.”

Now, Rafael Sanchez is the country manager of ONIC Philippines. After five years and 10 seasons in the industry, he reflects on things about esports no one’s told us about. 

“It was a bittersweet rollercoaster ride!” 

Among all the teams in MPL Philippines, ONIC has undergone the most dramatic transformations in its identity. It started with the VeeWise era in Season 6, followed by the Kairi era, which concluded in Season 9. Season 10 ushered in the Monster Anarchy era, while Seasons 11 and 12 saw the rise of the LAZY Esports era. The Fnatic era began in Season 13 and culminated in Season 14—ONIC’s most successful season to date—led by a roster widely regarded as the strongest in MPL Philippines history: Kelra, K1ngKong, Kirk, Brusko, and Super Frince.

But why did it have to undergo so many changes? 

“Managing a team involves numerous factors, especially when sustainability is key in any business. Looking back, it was disappointing—even for us—to finish as runner-ups in both MPL Season 8 and M3. We struggled to maintain our performance at the time. That was also when ONIC Indonesia recognized Kairi’s potential and made the decision to bring him in,” said Sanchez. 

KAIRI. 

Many fans harbored resentment toward ONIC Indonesia for taking the most promising Filipino jungler at the time. 

ONIC Philippines’ roster disbanded after a heartbreaking Season 9 run. People reeled from the frustration of ONIC PH letting go of Kairi, and the fact that he really shined so brightly in Indonesia—five championships in MPL-ID—only added salt to the wound. 

Within the team, the weight of Season 9’s legacy lingered. Players felt they were constantly in its shadow, struggling to move forward.

How does Rafael Sanchez reflect on all of this?

“The M3 ONIC roster set a high standard, leaving big shoes to fill for the succeeding lineups, who had to carry that weight of expectation,” said Sanchez. 

It’s not just Kairi. Imagine the feeling of letting go of numerous players and coaches only for them to shine brighter in other teams than yours: OhMyV33nus, Wise, Baloyskie, Zico, Hate, Markyyy, Coach Yeb, Coach Trebor, and so many others. 

“I get why people say, ‘My ONIC M3 heart,’” Sanchez admitted. “It’s a term they use when they think about ONIC because so many of our players back then exceeded expectations.”

He acknowledged that not every decision felt right in the moment, but with time, things fell into place. 

“Sometimes, you make a call that doesn’t seem ideal at first, only to realize later that it actually worked out. We were able to discover talents in Monster Anarchy, such as Frince. We also discovered K1ngKong, Kirk, and so many others.”

Still, he understood the attachment fans had to that iconic roster. “Our M3 lineup was just one of those teams that people couldn’t help but love—the same way they love Blacklist’s M3 lineup. Even I’m a fan of those lineups. But at the end of the day, changes have to happen. It’s not always about performance alone.”

As for those who were frustrated, he had his own take. “What I always explain to everyone post-Season 9 is that a lot of our fans became fans of other teams—not because they stopped supporting ONIC, but because they were frustrated ONIC fans.”

He recognized the weight of legacy.

“There was a certain hype and prestige that came with wearing the ONIC jersey. And honestly, it was heavy. The new players had to carry that pressure.”

That pressure was something Sanchez learned to embrace because in his words, it’s easier for team managers to fuck up. 

“The consequences for managers fucking up are not as great compared to a player fucking up. For example, a player can fuck up for one season, and the next thing you know, he’s gone the following season. That’s not the case with managers. That’s why I try to take on the perspectives and feelings of the players.”

But it’s also dangerous for esports bosses to get too close to their players. And it’s one of the hardest lessons learned by many esports coaches and executives. 

“The hardest lesson is… you can’t attach yourself to people in this industry. It will come to a point when you’ll start asking, I want to win with you but do you think I’ll win with you?”

Few rosters breeze through each season unscathed. For ONIC PH, nearly every season is a massacre. 

“At the end of the day, the priority really is to win. There are those who have been in the scene for more than 10 seasons who haven’t won championships, and they feel like they deserve it, but at the end of the day, can they keep up with what the younger players are coming up with?”

Sanchez can be ruthless at times but like all team bosses, it’s a hat he is forced to wear. 

“Iyon yung nagiging problema eh. As much as you want to win together, the question is do you think you’ll even win in the first place?”

But Sanchez knows the value of keeping people together. 

“I’m not saying you let go of people just like that if you’re only after performance. It’s about making them realize that all of them are here for one reason, and if winning can be their common goal, then that’s what will really help push the team.”

ONIC Philippines is in the limelight now, and sponsorships are pouring in. It took ten seasons for the team to finally win, and it won big. 

Rafael Sanchez can rest easy for now. 

“I guess the third time is not the charm but the tenth is.”