Who said you can’t make a living out of games? Many would be crazy envious of these few Malaysians – after all, they really do have quite the #dreamjob material. But amidst all the fame and glory, they have certainly came a long way before achieving their esteemed status today.
Who exactly are these people? Scroll down to find out!
1. Chai Yee Fung aka Mushi
Best known as a consistent player during his involvement in Team DK and Orange, Mushi is indeed a name no stranger in the online gaming community. Although 2011 marks the beginning of his career, he had to temporarily retire soon after from Dota 2 due to fatigue and poor results.
Of course as you know it, his journey didn’t just end there. The year 2013 and 2014 was said to be one of Mushi’s peak when he burst back into the professional gaming scene, dominating the all-star Team DK by sweeping multiple championships in premier tournaments such as WPC ACE 2013, G-League and StarLadder Star Series. His incredible performance even caught the eyes of game developer Valve Corporation and he was extended an exclusive invite to The International 2012, the largest Dota 2 tournament to be hosted at that point of time.
2. Wong Hock Chuan aka ChuaN
One of the star players of Invictus Gaming, ChuaN enjoyed relative success during his four years tenure as a support player before calling it quits temporarily and is now a member of Vici Gaming.
Another household name, ChuaN’s accidental discovery of DotA was truly the turning point in his life. An avid basketball player in his younger days, he was forced to quit after sustaining a leg injury for a few months. It was during this time that ChuaN was introduced to the iconic game and the rest is history.
3. Tiffani Lim aka Babyoling
You’ve probably spotted her occasional presence at eGG Network on Astro channel 808 where she dishes out post-game analysis as a guest panellist. Do not underestimate Oling’s petite frame as a sign of weakness – she executes a pretty mean clutch save during times of need. While she has adequately showcased her leadership chops when she held post as Team Manager for the now-disbanded Titan, Oling is showing no signs of slowing down after beating numerous teams in the Female SEA League back in January as a member of Grills Gaming.
4. Khoo Chong Xin aka Ohaiyo
Performing his traditional offline role with much aplomb, this 24-year-old lad has truly came a long way since he ventured into professional gaming five years ago. Being a veteran player in Fnatic since 2015, Ohaiyo had successfully made a household name with his regular hero favourites, Nature’s Prophet and Dark Seer.
5. Zheng YeikNai aka MidOne
A self-professed enthusiast since childhood, gaming has always been a permanent fixture during MidOne’s childhood. From stacking Tetris on a Gameboy console to playing his first round of computer games at a tender age of 7, he retained a competitive streak that proved to be extremely useful in his professional games.
The Mountain Dew Dota 2 Challenge 2015 makes for a crucial turning point in his career – the tournament win eventually caught the attention of Fnatic’s manager and he was extended an opportunity to join the all-star group. Highly regarded as one of the promising up-and-comers in the gaming scene, MidOne rightfully proved himself when he became the first Southeast Asian player to accumulate 9000 MMR on Europe servers earlier this year.