Two-time M-Series Mobile Legends world champion Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno received the Player of the Year citation during the Mobile Legends Professional League Philippines Press Corps Annual Awards Night last week.

A Southeast Asian Games gold medalist and M2 Mobile Legends World Championship Most Valuable Player, the 18-year-old KarlTzy is the only player in competitive Mobile Legends history to win a world title twice.

In fact, he is being touted as the greatest of all time in the popular MOBA Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.

He admitted that he thought his career was already done when he transferred from Bren Esports to ECHO two seasons ago.

“This is very special to me because when I transferred to ECHO, I felt like my career was going down but as it turns out, I am not yet done. I am just happy that I can still keep up,” said KarlTzy, who has so far garnered an estimate of roughly P6.8 million in career earnings.

“I am overjoyed because even though there were doubters at first, many more trusted in me so I am grateful to those people.”

It can be remembered that ECHO, at one point, was regarded as a super team after it signed Tristan “YAWI” Cabrera and Frediemar “3MarTzy” Serafico for Season 9.

The ECHO hype, however, quickly died down as opposing teams figured out their playstyle midway through the regular season before getting booted out in the opening round of the Playoffs by Omega Esports.

The heartbreak prompted the ECHO brass to make changes in its roster, including tapping the services of Alston “Sanji” Placibo and Sanford “SanFord” Vinuya in the middle and experience lane respectively, and the hiring of a new head coach in Harold “Tictac” Reyes.

KarlTzy, meanwhile, stepped out of his comfort zone by letting go of his assassins to play tank heroes as utility junglers instead.

He said the next goal is to give his team an MPL title and win the Mobile Legends Southeast Asia Cup — the only title missing in his resume.

“What I want is to give ECHO an MPL championship and an MSC for me,” he said.