M4 Mobile Legends world champion ECHO lost yet another key member ahead of the Season 13 of the Mobile Legends Professional League Philippines.
Robert “Trebor” Sanchez walked away from ECHO, becoming the second high profile member to leave the squad ahead of the new season that starts on 15 March.
Prior to his departure, former team captain Tristan ‘“Yawi” Cabrera also packed his bags, saying that he will be joining Aura in MPL Indonesia.
Few weeks later, ECHO made a surprising announcement that one of their coaches, touted as their “secret weapon,” is leaving in a bid to help AP Bren retain its MPL crown.
“We say goodbye to one of the people who helped the team achieve great victories,” ECHO said.
“From the adrenaline-fueled tournaments to late-night strategy sessions, the moments you’ve shared with ECHO have been nothing but remarkable.”
Said to be the brains behind ECHO’s success in its title run in MPL Season 11 and M4 World Championship, Trebor was in charge of in-game strategies and the brain behind ECHO’s gutsy clutch drafts in important matches.
“Coach Trebor is a huge help to us. He makes our drafts so all the heroes we play are his idea,” ECHO coach Harold “Tictac” Reyes said after the team won its first MPL championship.
“Coach Tictac and Coach Trebor are a combination. Tictac is the muscle of the team while Trebor is the brain. I can say that the coaching staff will not be complete without them,” ECHO’s country manager Mitch Liwanag added.
Trebor’s exit, however, didn’t come as a surprise.
Pictures of Trebor with AP Bren have made the rounds on social media, fueling speculations that he is headed to the defending champion.
It did not take long before AP Bren announced that it had indeed signed Trebor as its technical coach.
Before MPL Season 13, AP Bren also lost one of its coaches Vrendon “Vren” Pesebre after he transferred to RRQ Hoshi. The move provided room for AP Bren to tap Trebor’s services and join forces with Francis “Duckey” Glindro in coaching.
Over at ECHO, the team added Justine “Zaida” Palma and Jhonville “Outplayed” Villar to the roster together with its main five Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno, Frederic “Bennyqt” Gonzales, Sanford “Sanford” Vinuya, Alston “Sanji” Pabico, Jaypee “Jaypee” dela Cruz with Tictac as coach.
AP Bren, meanwhile, is keeping its world championship roster of Angelo “Pheww” Arcangel, David “FlapTzy” Canon, Marco “Super Marco” Requitiano, Michael “KyleTzy” Sayson, Rowgien “Owgwen.”