Mark Anthony "Jacko" Soriano, once tabbed as a Dota 2 prodigy but got involved in a messy match-fixing controversy, has decided to take his act to Mobile Legends: Bang Bang where he will aim to redeem himself.
Jacko was a promising young Dota 2 player seven years ago until his involvement in the notorious match-fixing issue tagged as the "PH 322 scandal of 2014" destroyed his potential career in the PC video game.
He was a member of the Mineski-Dota squad that intentionally threw a match for money and was eventually slapped with an indefinite ban by Valve along with the other players involved.
Some Dota fans argued that Jacko must not receive a ban as he was underage when he was involved in the match-fixing mess, but the punishment remained until now.
He continued to play Dota for Power Gaming and Amihan Esports but being unable to participate in Valve-sanctioned events such as the Major tournaments and The International is just a huge blow.
In a Facebook post by Amihan a few days ago, the organization revealed that Jacko has decided to bring his talent to Mobile Legends.
However, his transfer was met with criticisms, prompting Amihan to shed a light on the beleaguered player's move.
"Jacko's decision to transfer to Mobile Legends signifies a story within all of us. A symbol of redemption of oneself and forgiving your own past," the team said in a recent statement posted on its Facebook page.
"We understand the frustration between his famous 322 scandal and many more, but in the end it took big guts for Jacko to talk with the management and open up about his decision," it added.
"Little do people know that this kid played his heart out for the game of Dota 2. We know that he learned from that mistake and Amihan Esports is willing to give him a chance and be great again."
Jacko is now grinding in the mobile MOBA game as shown in the livestreams of the organization. He is playing the core role and using heroes such as Claude, Ling and Yi Sun-shin.
Amihan is hoping that people will understand Jacko's transition from Dota to ML and support him in his new endeavor.
"Now, he just wants to move on from that mistake and be great once more through Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. Just be proud that he never gave up. Nobody is perfect."