NRX Jeremiah 29:11 fell to a losing start after absorbing a three-game sweep from the hands of Indonesia's Dunia Games Esports in the Call of Duty Mobile (CODM) World Championships 2020-Garena Qualifiers on Monday night.
Coach Michael "Kyaaah" Belaya said the erratic internet connection played the biggest hurdle on the team's defeat in the online qualifying tournament.
"Ayaw po namin mag-reason pero may delay and lag po talaga (We don't want to find an excuse but there was really a delay and lag)," said Belaya.
NRX had a shaky start as it lost in the Hardpoint mode at the Firing Range, 150-49.
Captain JC "Jayzee" Rivera and the gang nearly pulled off a tremendous comeback in Search and Destroy at the Summit as the team forced a deciding round after trailing behind 2-5.
But a 1v2 clutch pistol play from Zana Zulfa "ZeZe" Izzulhaq handed DG Esports a commanding 2-0 lead.
Smelling blood, DG decimated NRX in Domination at the Firing Range, 150-60, to close out the lopsided series.
NRX landed at the bottom of the six-team tilt along with Taiwan's FunPlus Phoenix, which got swept by Thailand's Daivo.FreeSlot.
DG and Daivo took an early lead with three points apiece followed by Malaysia's Resurgence, which won, 2-1, against Singapore's Divinity.Uprising.
NRX will next face Divinity in a rematch of the ESL MSP Championship-Southeast Asia finals on Tuesday at 8 p.m. The PH bet bowed down to its Singaporean counterpart in the said tourney.