“As a child I was so poor that I shared a bed with 7 brothers. Now I'm worth $300,000 thanks to eSports”
RIYADH: When it comes to coming-of-age stories, Rowgien “Owgwen” Unigo’s story is hard to beat. As a boy, 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 Owgwen, from Quezon City in the Philippines and a world champion roamer for Team Falcons of Saudi Arabia in “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.”
“We are seven siblings and we lived at our grandparents’ house. All seven of us shared a large bed. I am the eldest. Sometimes my other siblings would wake up during the night because the space in the bed was not big enough for all of us. This meant that we suffered from sleep deprivation.”
The family also had trouble feeding themselves. His mother, who ironically worked in a restaurant, and his unemployed father divorced when he was young.
“We were so poor that we only had broth and rice to eat, broth and rice every day, every week,” Owgwen says. “The broth was free for a neighbor. The rice was from our grandmother, whose house we all lived in. It wasn't enough with seven brothers. It was really hard.”
Despite all this, he developed a passion and talent for video games, playing whenever and wherever he could with friends and people he met who saw his skill.
Owgwen, whose amazing gaming moves are adored by millions of fans around the world, vividly remembers the first time he won an amateur tournament “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang” in the Philippines.
“I thought, 'There's money here,'” he recalls. “I won, I won money for winning these tournaments, and that helped me a lot when it came to providing 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 obstacle, as a 19-year-old yet to be signed up, was taking time off from his job as a call center agent to compete as much as possible and get noticed.
“Luckily, Coach Ducky discovered me,” Owgwen says of Francis “Ducky” Glindro, another Filipino who is the coach of Team Falcons. “He secured my spot in eSports and the rest is my journey.”
Owgwen adds, “I support three siblings. They are only children, ages 14, 12, and 11, and they are still in school. I help my family provide for what they need. And, of course, the bills that I help with.
“It means a lot to me to be able to do this. Life is hard when you have nothing and you have to survive in your life. It helps my family and me to live a normal life.
“I made, like, $300,000. It was life-changing for me and my family. It makes me feel really good that I can give my family whatever lifestyle they want.
“What motivates me the most is that I come from poverty. It really pushes me to compete and play competitively against my opponents.”
Aside from supporting his family, he also recently started his first business: an internet cafe and gaming center in Binangonan, about 30 km from Manila, the capital of the Philippines. His father helps him run the gaming center.
“Business is booming,” smiles Owgwen.
Growing up, Owgwen could never have dreamed of the places his gambling exploits have taken him around the world. Having first ridden on a plane two years ago when he was 21, he has since been to Cambodia, Indonesia, Romania, Japan and Saudi Arabia.
The latest initiative is the Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia, the largest video game festival in the world, which will be held for eight weeks, from July 3 to August 25 at Boulevard Riyadh City.
The elite competition is where the best players and clubs on the planet compete 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 fine form, Team Falcons qualified for the “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang” finals earlier this month at the Esports World Cup. However, in an incredible epic match, in front of a raucous crowd at a packed Saudi Esports Federation Arena, they were defeated 4-3 by Malaysian team Selangor Red Giants.
As disappointed as Owgwen was, overcoming obstacles is something the Filipino knows all too well. He also sees the bigger picture and was amazed by the passion for gaming and eSports in the Kingdom.
“It’s so important here,” Owgwen says. “Saudi Arabia supports esports. It really helps us shine as athletes who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunities. It really means a lot to me. I think it’s a pleasure to serve Team Falcons here.
“They gave us confidence with their name. We made it to the Grand Final but unfortunately we didn't win the championship. But it was still a great experience for us on our journey here in Saudi Arabia.”
When asked if he wants to become a millionaire through esports, Owgwen says, “I don't focus on the money. I focus much more on winning esports games and helping my teammates improve on our 'ML:BB' journey.”
And his message to those who were once like him, with only their dreams and love of family to live for?
“Don’t stop,” he says. “Don’t stop chasing your passion. If you really love your passion, then you will have no regrets, and you too can get here.”
