This article is part of “Code COVID” a series on how the gaming and esports industry is responding to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

ONE Esports recently spoke to Filipino Dota 2 team, Team Adroit, and their hard support player, Bryle “cml” Alvizo, about how the team is dealing with the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and how it has affected the current state of the 2019-2020 Dota Pro Circuit season.

The Philippines implemented a regionwide lockdown called the Enhanced Community Quarantine on March 16, which is still in effect.


ONE Esports: What is the status of the team in terms of training and what are the biggest challenges Team Adroit has in terms of practicing and preparation?

We already resumed our practice days after we arrived from LA. We were not able to go to our respective homes due to the lockdown. I think our biggest challenge is not being able to go home and take a break from playing as it may result in us getting burnt out.

With the COVID-19 pandemic putting the entire Dota Pro Circuit season to a halt, how does the team feel about playing most of their competitive matches online?

It doesn’t really affect us significantly because we’re still intact. All of us are currently playing in our boot camp, so I guess it’s an advantage for us since other teams are playing online.

After qualifying for the ESL One Los Angeles Major, how does the team feel about the event being postponed?

We felt extremely happy being able to qualify for the LA Major. It was an important comeback for us since the previous qualifiers were a tragedy as we ended last during the Group Stage.

We were already in LA when it got postponed. After reading ESL’s announcement, we were all disappointed and frustrated since we badly wanted to play considering we already had a hard time securing our visas.

Also, it could have been a great opportunity for us to learn new things from a LAN tournament and learn from our stand-in captain, Michael “ninjaboogie” Ross Jr. Nonetheless, we understood that we were facing a serious situation and our safety might be compromised because of the COVID-19 pandemic.



As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a major health risk, what does the team recommend Valve do in the interim regarding the current DPC season? Would the team rather have the DPC continue with Valve’s proposed Regional Leagues?

We believe that with the current situation, Valve should have the DPC system continue through the proposed Regional Leagues because the pandemic will probably go on for months or even a year (hopefully not) and that would complicate the current schedule of the DPC tournaments.

Is there anything the team would like to say to their fans while they’re stuck at home with the Enhanced Community Quarantine?

We are facing a very serious situation, so we should comply with the guidelines implemented by the government. Let’s not add up to the burden. As Dota players, lockdown is not a new thing for us. We used to be at home most of the time. So just CHILL and PLAY Dota at home. Keep safe always.

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