Bren Esports overcame intense competition and emerged victorious as the MPL PH Season 6 champions. While many may think that Bren Esports has always been this good, ONE Esports was able to dig deeper, asking team captain Angelo Kyle “Pheww” Arcangel about his thoughts on their championship journey.

Commenting on the team’s dominating season and playoff appearance in S6, Pheww said that their success stemmed from a reliable and evolving coaching presence. Besides already being good players, what pushed them further were coaches Francis “Duckey” Glindro and Leathergoods, along with their training system that was tailored to maximize their potential. Another big factor in the team’s morale was the training facility and its effect of making them feel like actual athletes.

Aside from the usual training sessions, their scrimmages with MY/SG and ID teams helped the team refine their tactics on the battlefield. With those regions playing different kinds of playstyles — a few of which were unfamiliar to the team — Bren improved their adaptability in late-game decisions that could make or break a series.

For the team’s dynamics, Pheww noted how coach Duckey placed emphasis on communicating within the team because it’s essential in any competitive game. The team has gotten used to staying very sharp and active on comms, especially during the drafting phase and 1-3-1 strategies.

When asked about the grand finals, Pheww noted that all their drafts were good, even during the losing games.

“Our drafts are always calculated, which also means that there will always be a percentage or chance of unforced errors,” Pheww said. “When that happens, we reset our mindset and focus on doing better in terms of fulfilling our win condition.”

Despite being regarded as the brains of Bren by Aura PH’s Rafflesia, Pheww only saw himself as part of a bigger picture, acting as just another piece in their gameplan.

“I’m not really the brain of the team because each member is the collective brain, mind, soul of the team,” said the captain. “We all share our ideas on how to best approach the game. When it’s tough, we overcome it together because it’s a 5-man game after all. We carry each other’s successes and failures.”

Pheww mentioned his relationship with the rest of the team as “teammates first then friends.” As the captain of the team, he finds it very important that they must treat and respect each other as teammates and esports athletes, but once training is over, that’s when they can build their relationships as friends.

While Pheww has been competing ever since MPL PH Season 2, the Bren player believes that he has changed throughout the years in mentality and role.

“I guess the biggest meta change for me is Bren’s approach to training.” said Pheww. “We don’t just work hard, we train smarter.”

“Coach Duckey not only coached us in the game, but he was also there to motivate us mentally and this was something new for me. I believe this is beneficial for all players.”

Though this may just be the start of the Bren dynasty, it seems like Pheww and his crew know that they’re destined for bigger victories in the future.

Bren Esports next tournament will be the ONE Esports MPL Invitational, where they will face off against three other MPL champions, and 16 other teams for a US$100,000 prize pool.

READ MORE: Bren Esports win a thrilling best-of-seven to become MPL PH S6 Champions