ECHO and Michael “Arcadia” Bocado have ended their partnership that spanned five seasons in the MPL Philippines.
Arcadia, who served the team since the second of the back-to-back titles of the Sunsparks era, departed from the squad as announced by the esports organization on Monday, July 11.
In a lengthy post on its official Facebook page, ECHO paid tribute to its longtime mentor.
“He’s not just a coach. Coach Arcadia became what the team needed and more. He’s a coach, a father figure, a brother to some, and a really good friend,” ECHO said in a statement.
“He was with us through ups and downs, and his dedication to his given role is definitely admirable. He was always there to guide the team in every step of the way, and to lift our spirits up. That’s why not having him around this season feels different for all of us,” it added.
Arcadia remained with the team when it was acquired by Aura PH in Seasons 6 and 7 and when it rebranded to ECHO in Season 8 and 9. ECHO paraded a star-studded cast last Season led by Karl “Karltzy” Nepomuceno, Tristan “Yawi” Cabrera and Benedict “BennyQT” Gonzales among others.
While they lived up to the billing early in the regular season, the team’s performance spiraled down towards the end in the playoffs even, suffering a shock 3-0 sweep loss at the hands of eventual runner-up Smart Omega Esports.
“It’s different because we were used to having him in our roster — and not seeing his name this season is like having to let go of a loved one. It feels so because in ECHO, we are more than a team. We are a family. No matter how sad, we believe that parting ways will help us grow better. So thank you, Coach Arcadia, for being one of the greatest coaches we’ve ever come across with,” ECHO furthered.