For the longest time, one phrase followed Team Liquid Philippines’ Jaypee Dela Cruz everywhere he played: “Kasalanan ni Jaypee.”
It echoed in livestream chats, flooded social posts, and lingered like a shadow every time Team Liquid Philippines stumbled. When the team faltered, the blame almost instinctively found its way to their roamer. It became a meme, then a narrative, and eventually a weight he carried through every rotation and every risky engagement.
The origin of ‘Jaypee’s fault’
When he first stepped into the spotlight with then ECHO, he walked straight into a firestorm. He replaced fan-favorite roamer Yawi, and many supporters refused to accept this change in the roster. Every misplay, every defeat, every stumble inside the Land of Dawn? Blamed on Jaypee.
The backlash intensified when fans pointed to his relationship with Team Liquid Philippines manager Mitch Liwanag. Many people judged that their relationship played a role in his spot on the roster. The backlash became so persistent that it started to affect his focus on the game. There was a point when Jaypee even considered leaving the professional scene.
The pressure nearly ended his career again in Season 15. According to head coach Arsy, Jaypee was already on the edge of being removed from the roster.
“Tatanggalin na dapat ni Madam Mitch pero nilaban ko si Jaypee. Sabi ko, bigyan niyo ko ng isa pang pagkakataon, papaganahin ko si Jaypee.”
One more chance. That was all Coach Arsy asked for.
Final match versus Season 16’s top seeded team
Team Liquid Philippines are your MPL Philippines Season 16 Champions after completing a stunning 4–0 sweep of top-seeded Aurora Gaming PH in the Grand Finals.
At the heart of that one-sided dismantling was none other than the man once unfairly marked as the problem. Jaypee earned the Finals MVP honors with the kind of poise and presence that can only be forged under pressure.
Game 1 set the tone when TLPH’s Gold Laner Kiel ‘Oheb’ Soriano delivered a monster performance with a 12/0/6 KDA, blowing open team fights and forcing Aurora to constantly defend. Once TLPH took control, they almost never let the opposing team shoot their shot.
From Game 2 to Game 4, Jaypee became the central figure. His play was not flashy, it was smart. His rotations minimized risk and maximized opportunity. He read RORA’s shot-calls before they even committed, enabling perfect punishments from his carries.
TLPH also proved that they learn fast and adjust faster in every game they fail to win. The team admitted in a press conference that drafting used to be a major factor in their loss to RORA earlier in the playoffs.
When asked about their adjustments in the drafting that contributed on their finals victory, Jaypee said: “Feel po kasi namin nalulugi kami sa ibang games kasi ang galing din po talaga nila magbase, then ayun may inadjust lang po kami sa drafting and pati sa game play po namin.”
It’s Jaypee’s fault
This is why the sweep meant more than a trophy. The team that once struggled to protect leads against Aurora returned with a roaming member who dictated every inch of the map. He absorbed criticism season after season, yet kept choosing growth over excuses.
Jaypee has been around long enough to understand that Mobile Legends is not just a game of mechanics. It is a game of decisions. Every invade, every rotation, and every ultimate pressed at the perfect second can shift momentum. As the roamer of TLPH, he takes on the weight of those decisions with a confidence that his teammates rely on.
He was never the problem. He was the solution waiting to be recognized.
Team Liquid PH proved they could rewrite their story in the moment that mattered most. The bashers’ punchline has now been stated with a new meaning: TLPH’s victory is definitely Jaypee’s fault.
via Jocelyn Malicdem
