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For Filipino non-gamers, this might not look very appealing to you.

But trust me; even if you don’t know the basic functions of a Tetris game, this is something you will definitely be proud of. So before I proceed, here is a bit of background information to let you newbies (or noobs, as we gamers like to call it) dance to the same tune we do:

Defense of the Ancients (DoTA) started out as a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) for the video game Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and its expansion, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. Ten years later, Valve Corporation released another MOBA video game that was a stand-alone sequel to the previously mentioned, called DoTA2. It is honestly one of the best games ever created, in my opinion, but one of the most difficult. Every match of DoTA2 pits two warring clusters, the Radiant and the Dire, on a very well-balanced map; each of them composed of five players. DoTA, like any other MOBA games, requires teamwork and strategic planning. Quite a lot of people don’t find it necessary to invest so much time into something that they can’t gain anything from – or so they think.

Michael Ross, or more commonly known as “ninjaboogie” or “nb” online, has stepped out of the chronic ‘video games will get you nowhere’ dogma by becoming a professional gamer and carrying the Philippine flag on every nation he conquers together with his team, RAVE. They are a Philippine Dota2 team based in Korea, who recently participated in a distinguished tournament, the DoTA2 Asia Championships (DAC) with a prize pool of PHP 130 million ($ 2.94 million).

The team came in 5th place, carrying home PHP 6.6 million, approximately $ 150,000.00. I believe this is the farthest a local team has ever accomplished. RAVE has certainly set the bar high for Filipino gamers.

As an amateur gamer, I look up to certain individuals such as our very own ninjaboogie. I had the privilege to ask Mike a couple of questions. A lot of people don’t actually know this, but Mike Ross is from Cebu City. So it really wasn’t that difficult to get in touch with him. And his down-to-earth and straightforward personality made this interview all the more interesting.

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1. What was the first DoTA2 hero you ever used? And what is your favourite?

I first played DoTA 10 years ago and my first hero was Zeus. My favorite hero to play is Storm.

2. What is your opinion about the DoTA 2 community – S.E.A. (Southeast Asia) especially?

At the moment, I feel the SEA Community is quite toxic; once your team is doing well they love you and once your team shows bad performance they begin to hate you. But I would like to believe that our recent performance in DAC (DoTA2 Asian Championships) changed the hearts of our fans.

3. Best DoTA2 moment you’ve ever witnessed and participated in.

It would have to be my first ever international tournament I've ever played, which was the SMM (Sendi Mutiara Multimedia) 2009. It was the first time I saw all the legends in one event playing for the championships. It was the biggest tournament during the DoTA 1 days.

4. You were a member of DuskBin, a team from another MOBA video game called Heroes of Newerth (HoN), and one of its best members at that. How were those days? And why did you shift from HoN to DoTA2?

Actually, I go way back even before HoN. I started playing DoTA at age of 12; and at the age of 16 I was part of team Mineski back in 2009. Due to personal issues, I quit DoTA and went back to schooling. 3 months into it, a lot of my friends wanted me to try out HoN and I enjoyed it at that time. My HoN team at that was the best in Southeast Asia, and unfortunately we had a fall out which ultimately made me leave the team. Instead of pushing through with HoN, I swapped over back to DoTA since I saw TI1 (The Internationals 1), and I felt I was at a player caliber who could in such a prestigious tournament.

5. What is your favourite aspect of the DoTA 2 gameplay? And why is DoTA2 – in your opinion – the best MOBA video game?

Back when DoTA started getting recognition, you could see that teams with just one star player would be enough to bring the team to the championships. But DoTA2 has evolved into something much greater than that. It is a game that revolves around 5 players who are well-synchronized with one another, and also have the same chemistry enough to move around as a single unit. I don't watch enough LoL (League of Legends) to be able to compare the two but I believe DoTA2 is more team-oriented in my opinion.


6. How did you deal with the pressure in the DoTA2 Asia Championship? From representing the country to fulfilling your team’s goals, including your own.

I've represented the Philippines in 3 MOBAs: HoN, LoL, and DoTA. With 10 years playing MOBAs, I've become confident with my capabilities but that doesn't stop me from being nervous. For me, the nervousness usually goes away after the first 2 minutes then I remind myself that I've been in this situation thousands of times before. I tend to not think of the pressure and just play the best of my capabilities which my team needs me to be.

7. How did you and your team (RAVE) feel going against teams like iG?

It was definitely going to be a tough game but we felt this was a game we needed to prove ourselves in; because all the games prior to it were bo1 (best of 1). Winning it meant we weren't just a team that could only win bo1's against a top team but a bo3 as well!


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8. How did it feel to play against BigGod – a team made of DoTA legends like rOtk, BurNIng, Lanm, xiao8, and iceice?

Personally speaking, I'm not one to be affected by big names in the scene. I just saw them as another obstacle we had to go through in order to proceed. I respect them immensely as a player; but once the game starts they are our opponents. We fought a similar lineup during our first Chinese LAN event back in September which was I-League season 1. We lost to them in the semi finals and the team consisted of (xiao8, zhou, 820, longdd, dd).

9. What did you learn from the recent major DoTA2 Asia Championships (DAC)?

Personally, what I felt after DAC is that we have what it takes to compete with the best of the best. With hard work and more training, we stand a chance to upsetting and going further into major tournaments!


10. What are you expecting in the International 2015?

It's still a ways away till the Ti5 invites will be released; but I feel we will be one of the top choices since we've been together for a long period and proven ourselves. We hope to bring the Philippine flag into Ti5!


Michael Ross’ professional attitude towards gaming has infected thousands of local Filipino gamers, who aspire to make it in the scene one day. His strong determination to reach the top is definitely something worth looking forward to. This definitely won’t be the last we will be hearing from him.

Also, even if RAVE didn’t make it to 1st place this year at the DAC, they have placed the country on a level that we have never seen before. And there’s always next year, or Ti5. But for now, as the title above says, GGWP – good game, well played.