Coming off a so-so start, NRX Jeremiah 29:11 vowed to come back with guns ablaze in the closing half of the 2021 Call of Duty Mobile Garena Invitational (CGI) group stage.
NRX nabbed five points on a 2-2 series win-loss record for the fifth spot in the eight-team invitational at the end of the first set of group stage matches held on March 19-21.
The top six teams will advance to the double elimination playoffs of the $40,000 (nearly P2 million) tourney wherein NRX received a direct invite for its achievements last year highlighted by its victory in the World Championship Garena Qualifiers.
Coach Michael "Kyaaah" Belaya believes that NRX hasn't shown its top shape yet as the team is still groping for form following a long layoff.
"I think 'yung first week performance namin hindi pa 'yun ang best ng team kasi parang nangangapa pa kami dahil ngayon na lang ulit kami nakalaban sa big stage (I think our first week performance is not our best yet because we are still adjusting as this is our first time competing in the big stage for a while)," Kyaaah told Manila Bulletin in an online interview.
Kyaaah said in a previous interview that his squad composed of captain JC "Jayzee" Rivera, Jerrold "Woopiiee" Regay, Kennedy "iDra" Mondoy, Benj "CRUSH" Trinidad and John Kenneth "KenDy" Pimentel has not competed since the Worlds qualifiers last October 2020.
Jayzee and the crew started the CGI on the wrong foot, dropping its first two matches against Malaysia's Resurgence (2-1) and Indonesia's DG Esports (3-0).
NRX got on the winning track with 2-1 victories over Thailand's Astro.1s1k and SharpeR Esports.
Kyaaah offered no excuses for the team's fair showing early in the CGI and said that they are working hard on practices to make it to the playoffs.
"No excuses. Ginagawa pa rin namin 'yung mga plano and always learning from our mistakes 'pag natatalo kami. Move on agad then practice at ayusin kung ano ang problema (We're still sticking to our plans and always learning from our mistakes when we lose. We move on immediately and fix the problem)," he said.
"Araw-araw kami nagpapalakas para sa mga supporters namin (Everyday we're working hard to become stronger for our supporters)."
NRX Jeremiah 29:11 will battle fellow PH bet Nifty Ultra Anarchy, Singapore's ALMIGHTY (formerly Divinity.Uprising) and Taiwan's Raptors.DNS in the second half of the group stage on March 26-28.