In any competition, there are winners and losers. Local professional eSports teams in Malaysia say a strong mental game and cooperation is required to help overcome losses.
What’s important is that no one is blamed when a team loses, says team Todak manager Nazmi Nahar, adding that players have unexpectedly lost their hearing or concentration from emotional issues during tournaments.
“When that happens, players have to adapt and we remind them to still give their best. I don’t like it when they start blaming themselves or each other, we don’t need that kind of attitude,” he says.
Berjaya Dragons manager Edward Mah says he has had to kick out players who lacked team spirit: “If they feel the team can’t win without them and start to bring the other players down, then that person needs to go.”
He shares that when players get together for a post-mortem, some may point fingers at other teammates for lack of cooperation or communication.
“I don’t encourage that because in-fighting could really affect team spirit. I have to remind them that it’s important for us to stay united to take on our opponents,” he says.
External factors
Nazmi explains that players may also be experiencing more pressure from unforgiving fans on social media.
He gets concerned about players being stuck in the mindset of replaying their past matches in their mind and thinking about what could have been done at the time.
“I tell them to learn from the mistakes and then move forward. It’s bad when some players keep thinking they should have equipped themselves with a different weapon or moved faster to not lose the match. But it happens and we don’t blame anyone,” he says.
eSports commentator Muhammad Hafiz Sudin has seen first-hand how dealing with losses negatively can affect teams and individual players: “I’ve see some angry outbursts. Players point fingers at each other, ruining their team dynamics while individual players have more emotional burden to bear as there is no one else to shoulder the blame.”
He says sometimes players get upset at him when he explains to viewers what possible mistakes or errors led to them losing a game. As a commentator, Muhammad Hafiz says it’s his job to paint a vivid story to viewers to explain the outcomes of a game.
“Some players don’t take that very well as they feel it’s a personal attack on them. But I’m just pointing out what happened in the game for my viewers to understand what went wrong,” he adds.
He encourages players to be open to criticism and look towards improving each other in a positive manner.
“You have to be brave to admit your mistakes. If you’re going to talk to your teammates about their performance, offer constructive criticism instead of lashing out at them,” he says.
In times like these, Muhammad Hafiz says players need strong leadership from their coaches and managers to help them navigate the challenges of losing.
“I would encourage them to talk to their coaches. Find ways to grow and be supportive of one another,” he says.
Intense pressure
Todak eSports development manager Radzi “Ikuto” Rahman hopes that more people will come to understand the hard work and sacrifice that professional eSports players in Malaysia put in for the chance to represent their country.
“Oh yes, people think being a professional eSports player is easy because all they do is just play games,” he says.
Radzi explains that eSports today has become a multi-million dollar industry spawning careers such as managers, coaches, casters and analysts, and that there is more pressure now on professional players to deliver results.
“Once they turn professional, it’s no longer just playing for fun. eSports is actually one of the most ‘kejam’ (cruel) scenes. Players are reminded that if they don’t produce results, they may be replaced,” he says.
As eSports tournaments are now garnering huge viewership, organisers have upped the ante with lucrative prize money.
Suhaz eSports manager Muhammad Fadhil “Padel” Hishamuddin shares that he is proud that his team’s focus was never on the prize money.
“During tournaments, none of my players will ask ‘So, how much money do we have now..?’ It really surprised me. It shows to me that they are playing to win as a team and the chance to represent their country,” he says.
Be the first to comment