'I Was Poor When I Was Young, I Shared A Bed With 7 Brothers – Now I'm Worth $300,000 For Esports'
RIYADH: When it comes to rags to riches stories, it's hard to beat the story of Rogian “Ogwen” Unigo. As a youth, he shared a bed – not just a room – with his seven siblings. Now, as a 23-year-old professional esports player, he has career earnings of $300,000.
“I grew up in a very poor family,” says Romer matter-of-factly, Ogwen, from Quezon City in the Philippines and world champion for Saudi Arabia's Team Falcon in “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.”
“We are seven siblings and we just lived in our grandfather's house. All seven of us shared one big bed. I am the eldest. Sometimes my other siblings would wake up in the night because the bed space was not enough for all of us. It means we are suffering from sleep deprivation.”
It was also difficult to feed the family. Ironically, his mother, who worked in a restaurant, and his unemployed father, divorced when he was young.
“We were so poor that we only had bags and rice to eat – bags and rice every day, every week,” says Ogwen. “Brought in for free from a neighbor. The rice belonged to our grandmother, in whose house we all lived. It was not enough with the seven brothers. It was really hard.”
Despite all this, he developed a passion and talent for gaming, playing whenever and wherever with friends and people who saw his potential.
Owgwen, whose incredible gaming moves are loved by millions of fans around the world, vividly remembers the first time he won the “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang” amateur tournament in the Philippines.
“I thought: 'Here's the money,'” he recalls. “I won – I won money for winning these tournaments, and it helped a lot to provide for my family. As the eldest son, it helped my family survive in everyday life.”
His dream was to become a professional esports player. The hurdle for that, a 19-year-old still signed up, was finding time to compete and spot as much as possible from her job as a call center agent.
“Fortunately, Coach Ducky found me,” says Francis “Ducky” Glindroka Ogwen, a Filipino who coaches Team Falcons. “He secured me my place in esports and the rest is my journey.”
Ogwen adds: “I support three brothers. They are just kids – ages 14, 12 and 11 – and still going to school. I help my family provide what they need. And, of course, the bills I help with, too.
“Being able to do this is very important to me. Life is hard when you don't have anything, and you have to live your life. It helps my family and I experience a normal life.
“I made $300,000. It's been life-changing for me and my family. It makes me feel really good that I can give my family the lifestyle they want.
“What motivates me the most is that I come from poverty. It really motivates me to compete and play with my opponents.”
Besides supporting his family, he also recently established his first business – an internet cafe and gaming hub in Bingonan, about 30 kilometers from Manila, the capital of the Philippines. His father helps him run a gaming hub.
“Business is booming,” smiles Ogwen.
Growing up, Ogwen couldn't help but dream of the places his gaming exploits have taken him around the world. After traveling by plane for the first time two years ago when he was 21 years old, he has already been to Cambodia, Indonesia, Romania, Japan and Saudi Arabia.
The latest venture is the Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia, the world's largest gaming festival, which will run for eight weeks from July 3 to August 25 at the Boulevard Riyadh city.
The Elite Tournament is where the best players and clubs on the planet battle it out for the Esports World Cup Club Championship. The tournament has a prize pool of $60 million, the largest in esports history, and truly life-changing money.
With Owgwen in good form, Team Falcons qualified for the “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang” finals at the Esports World Cup earlier this month. However, in an incredible match for the ages, they were beaten 4-3 by Malaysian outfit Selangor Red Giants in front of a raucous crowd at a packed Saudi Esports Federation Arena.
As frustrated as Ogwen was, overcoming setbacks is something Filipinos know well. He also sees the big picture and was blown away by the passion for gaming and esports in the state.
“It's very big here,” says Ogwen. “Saudi Arabia supports eSports. It helps us shine as athletes who might not otherwise have the opportunities. It really means a lot to me. I am happy to serve Team Falcon here.
“They have trusted us with their name. We made it to the grand finals but unfortunately we didn't win the championship. But it was still a great experience for us on our trip to Saudi Arabia.
Asked if he wants to become a millionaire through esports, Ogwen replied: “I'm not focused on money. I'm more focused on winning esports games and helping my teammates get better in my 'ML:BB' journey.”
And his message to those who were once like him, only to live for their dreams and the love of their family?
“Stop,” he says. “Don't stop chasing your passion. If you truly love your passion you will have no regrets, and you can come this far too.”
