“As a child, I was so poor that I had to share a bed with seven siblings – thanks to e-sports, I am now worth $300,000”
RIYADH: When it comes to rags-to-riches stories, it's hard to beat the story of Rowgien “Owgwen” Unigo. As a teenager, he shared a bed – not just a room – with his seven siblings. Today, as a 23-year-old professional e-sports player, he has earned $300,000 in his career.
“I grew up in a very poor family,” says Owgwen from Quezon City in the Philippines and world champion roamer for the Saudi Arabian team Falcons in “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang,” matter-of-factly.
“We are seven siblings and we lived in our grandparents' house. All seven of us shared a big bed. I am the oldest. Sometimes my other siblings would wake up at night because there wasn't enough room in the bed for all of us. This meant that we suffered from sleep deprivation.”
The family also struggled to feed themselves. His mother, who ironically worked in a restaurant, and his unemployed father divorced when he was young.
“We were so poor that all we had to eat was broth and rice – broth and rice every day, every week,” says Owgwen. “We got the broth for free from a neighbor. We got the rice from our grandmother, in whose house we all lived. With seven siblings, that wasn't enough. It was really hard.”
Despite all this, he developed a passion and talent for gaming and played whenever and wherever he could with friends and people who recognized his talent.
Owgwen, whose incredible gaming moves are admired by millions of fans around the world, still remembers his first victory in a “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang” amateur tournament in the Philippines.
“I thought, 'There's money here,'” he recalls. “I won – I won money because I won these tournaments, and that helped me a lot to provide for my family. As the eldest son, it helped my family get through day to day.”
His dream was to become a professional e-sports player. The obstacle on his way was that at 19 years old he had not yet signed a contract. He took time off from his job as a call center agent to compete and get discovered as often as possible.
“Luckily, Coach Ducky discovered me,” Owgwen says of Francis “Ducky” Glindro, a fellow Filipino who coaches the Falcons team. “He secured my place in esports and the rest is my journey.”
Owgwen adds: “I support three siblings. They are only children – 14, 12 and 11 years old – and still go to school. I help my family provide for the basic necessities. And of course, I help with the bills too.
“It means a lot to me to be able to do this. Life is hard when you have nothing and you have to survive. It helps my family and me to live a normal life.
“I made about $300,000. It changed my life and my family's life. It makes me feel good knowing that I can provide my family with any lifestyle they want.
“What motivates me the most is that I come from poverty. That really drives me to compete and compete against my opponents.”
Aside from the support of 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.
As a child, Owgwen never imagined the places his gaming adventures would take him around the world. He first traveled by plane two years ago, at the age of 21, and since then he has been to Cambodia, Indonesia, Romania, Japan and Saudi Arabia.
The latest project is the Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia, the world's largest gaming festival, which takes place for eight weeks from July 3 to August 25 on Boulevard Riyadh City.
This elite competition sees the best players and clubs in the world compete for the club championship in the Esports World Cup. The tournament has a prize pool of $60 million, the largest in esports history, and some truly life-changing money.
With Owgwen in top form, Team Falcons qualified for the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang finals at the Esports World Cup earlier this month, but in an incredible and unforgettable match, they lost 4-3 to Malaysian team Selangor Red Giants in front of a raucous crowd at the packed Saudi Esports Federation Arena.
As disappointed as Owgwen was, overcoming setbacks is something the Filipino knows all too well. He also sees the bigger picture and was overwhelmed by the passion for gaming and esports in the Kingdom.
“It's so big here,” says Owgwen. “Saudi Arabia supports esports. It really helps us shine as athletes who might not otherwise have the opportunity. It really means a lot to me. I think it's a pleasure to support Team Falcons here.”
“They trusted us with their name. We made it to the grand final, but unfortunately we didn't win the championship. Nevertheless, it was a great experience for us on our trip here to Saudi Arabia.”
When asked if he wants to become a millionaire through esports, Owgwen replies: “I'm not interested in the money. I'm much more focused on winning esports games and helping my teammates get better on our 'ML:BB' journey.”
And his message to those who were once just like him and lived only for their dreams and the love of their family?
“Don't stop,” he says. “Don't stop pursuing your passion. If you really like your passion, you won't regret anything and you too can go that far.”
