Gaming isn’t just a hobby. For some people, it’s an addiction, an obsession, a job – and even a lifestyle! Like all countries, the Philippines boasts some pretty hardcore gamers. Not even celebrities are immune to the allure of Skyrim or the battle royals of Overwatch or the addictive chaos of DoTA 2. We’ve compiled a list below of five Philippine celebrities who are certified hardcore gamers. Some might even surprise you!
1. Mikael Daez
First up, we’ve got the Kapuso star who clocked over 1,000 hours on DoTA 2 just months after it first came out. The 2014 article by Yahoo Philippines revealed Mikael’s deep obsession with the game, which he likes to play single-player. He said that his love for DoTA 2 has even caused some troubles with his real-life romances – but never his work. “I am hooked, but I keep it in check. Work is work. I still have to be better at managing my time, but I enjoy it,” Mikael said in the article. Then, on Twitter, he even posted his MMR ranking, which measures his skill against other players. While his ranking at the time was slightly above average, it probably has improved over the years.
2. Sam Concepcion
Next, we’ve got Star Magic singer, dancer, and actor Sam Concepcion. A huge gaming fan, one of his first ever endorsements as a celebrity was the online game Ragnarok. Now, Sam still remains a big fan of MMOs. Particularly League of Legends. He also participated in Celebrity Showmatch 2 in 2016, which pitted celebrity gamers against each other in the game Rampage. Celebrities earned money depending on their performances in the game. Proceeds from the match went to the charity Hope In A Bottle, which helps fund public school classrooms. Sam participated as part of Team Sapphire, which won against Team Ruby in Celebrity Showmatch 2.
3. Jack Reid
Sam Concepcion’s teammate in Celebrity Showmatch 2 Jack Reid also makes the list. Jack, the younger brother of ABS-CBN star James Reid, is a hard-core gamer and veteran of Celebrity Showmatch. He participated in both 2016 and 2017, in the latter on the Master Tier level. Sounds impressive, right? And it looks like gaming runs in the family, too. While not on the same level as Jack, his brothers and their other friends also love League of Legends. They even visited him in Celebrity Showmatch 1 to show their support to their Summoner brother!
4. Christian Bautista
Fourth, we’e got singer, actor, and serial gamer Christian Bautista. His love for games is actually well-documented. He’s given multiple interviews showing off his gamer side. He told ABSC-CBN in 2012 that he loved to play hardcore strategy games like ‘Command and Conquer’ and ‘Red Alert’ in high school. In the article, he also expressed a love of ‘Fallout’ and ‘Skyrim.’ His Instagram also shows that his love has only increased over time. Except now his interests have expanded to games such as ‘Titanfall Assault’ and ‘Starcraft.’ Apparently, he even met fiancee Kat Ramnani through a game – but not an online one. He revealed to GMA News that they met in an escape room game where they had to strategize together to successfully find their way out. Apparently, the couple that games together stay together!
5. Alodia
Last but not least, the face of Philippine gaming! Alodia Gosiengfao is the Philippines’ foremost female gamer and she’s been making huge strides to tackle the discrimination in the gaming industry against female gamers. Her gaming skills and interests are incredibly varied. (Apart from gaming, Alodia makes a name for herself as a cosplayer.) But when it comes to games, Alodia favors MMORPGs, particularly DoTA 2, Skyrim, and Diablo 3. She’s also into handheld games like Pokemon (of course!) and first-person shooters like Counterstrike. If you want to talk about hardcore Philippine gamers, then look no further than Alodia. She’s managed to use her love of gaming to even land sponsors such as Acer, marketing their laptops!