“I want to qualify for an international”: PatMen’s VCT mission with Global Esports
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PatMen is the kind of person who thanks you at the end of an interview twice. It seems to me that underneath the stat lines and the stage presence, there’s a guy who is also just grateful to be here, genuinely aware of what this all means. Not just for himself, but also for the people watching. I spoke to him for a bit after Global Esports’ 2-0 sweep over Gen.G on opening week of VCT Pacific, but the match feels like the least interesting thing about him.
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His role in GE
Ask PatMen about his role on this GE squad and he doesn’t reach for a tidy answer. Because there isn’t one. “I’m the one tanking some roles that my teammates cannot play,” he says. “Sometimes controller, solo controller, initiator, sometimes duelist. It’s tough, of course, because it has a different playstyle.”
There’s no complaint in it. If anything, there’s a quiet pride. Coach FrosT trusts him with the hard jobs, and PatMen trusts Frost back. That exchange of faith, simple as it sounds, seems to mean a lot to him.
“Frost is just trusting me that I’m capable of doing that. So I’m just trusting him also on that thing.”
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What makes that trust interesting is what PatMen carries into the room that nobody else on this roster does. He is the only one there to have competed and won a Valorant Masters. That isn’t a small thing and he isn’t keeping it to himself.
“Even though I was just a rookie last year, I learned a lot of things. I’m trying to tell them what I experienced, what I think is gonna help them. Sometimes if it’s Kr1stal playing initiator, I’m telling him stuff. Same with xavi8k and everyone.”
The PRX chapter
PatMen came through Paper Rex, the team that turned chaos into an art form and built one of the most passionate fanbases in Valorant. He doesn’t distance himself from that history. When I bring up the prospect of facing his former side again after losing to them in kickoff, he leans in a little.
“We might have a better chance of beating them now. I can see the difference in terms of energy and chemistry of the team right now. It was really important to have those kinds of things.” Then, with a small smile: “Hopefully in the next matchup against Paper Rex, we win this time.”
This time. He knows the weight of those two words. I also asked him who he’d want to share a server with most, could be anyone in the world. He doesn’t hesitate and says Jinggg. His old PRX teammate, the player whose raze highlights seem to defy the laws of the game. “I really like to play with him and playing against him,” he laughs. Some connections just stick.
The Indian aspect
Before we wrapped up, I asked what it means to be the Filipino player at the centre of an Indian organisation’s Pacific dream. He takes a beat.
“I was really grateful. Having this kind of opportunity is a really, really nice feeling.” He looks up. “As pro athletes, we just want to show off on stage. Hopefully this year we qualify for at least one international tournament. We’re gonna promise the Indian fans and Filipino fans that we’re gonna do our best.”
He stands up. Says thank you. Then says it again. PatMen has a promise to keep and something tells me he won’t forget it.
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