NEWS | BAKBAKAN XV: Conquering another dimension
UPM students go head-to-head in three esports events
By Gwyneth Cruz and Angela Vanessa Manuel
The hustle and bustle mentality of the students proved to be the constant source of impeccable energy, allowing the continuation of BAKBAKAN XV, a University of the Philippines Manila (UPM) tradition, despite the barrage of circumstances. For the first-time ever, this year’s BAKBAKAN is composed of three esports events that will run from February 15 to March 13. The seven colleges are pouring every inch of passion and pride as they battle it out for the glory of their respective colleges and the chance to be hailed with the prestigious title of “BAKBAKAN XV Champions.”
The College of Medicine’s (CM) dominance was seen as an insurmountable obstacle by the other colleges as they were crowned the Call of Duty: Mobile Battle Royale Tournament Champions last Feb. 24. Currently, the other two tournaments, namely Valorant & League of Legends, are on-going.
The grind never stops
BAKBAKAN, celebrating its 15th season, is an annual intercollegiate and university-wide sports competition led by the Sports & Wellness Committee of the UPM University Student Council (UPM USC) and one of the highlights of the whole academic year. This year it is co-presented by the Alliance in Wellness and Sports of Students of the Allied Medical Professions (AWSAMS) and UP Alpha Sigma Fraternity Manila.
Before the pandemic happened, students from different colleges and year levels gathered in the Sports Wellness Center (SWC) to showcase their cunning play styles, on-point strategies, and solid teamworks in basketball, volleyball, and other physical activities. This time, their chosen avatars amassed in a virtual arena, controlled by the sleight of their hands and rhythm of their fingers, to conquer the opportunity of another dimension: the world of online gaming and e-sports.
The current setup may feel like vice grips of an unwanted yet powerful enemy, but the students’ spirits of play remained unrelenting, like heroes capable of overcoming a huge handicap.
“We also do not see Bakbakan only as a competition between the different colleges but also as an avenue to foster camaraderie among them by uniting them through things they love. As someone who is in his 4th year in UP, I personally believe that it is essential in finding a balance between academics and dedicating our time and energy towards things we enjoy and I saw Bakbakan as a medium to help this cause,” said Migo Enriquez, the current head of BAKBAKAN XV, in an interview.
Furthermore, the major goals of the Sports and Wellness Committee in conducting BAKBAKAN every year are to (1) promote physical wellness, (2) encourage recreational participation, and (3) foster camaraderie and sportsmanship, all in line with the UPM University Student Council’s (UPM USC) pursuit for holistic development.
BAKBAKAN XV gaming triumvirate
In selecting the games to be included in the roster for BAKBAKAN XV, a survey was conducted to the students by the UPM USC last September 2020. This was an inclusive move to acknowledge their constituents regarding the type of events they will be fired up to play. The top three that ignited the engine of the students were Call of Duty: Mobile, Valorant, and League of Legends.
Call of Duty: Mobile is a shooting game created by TiMi Studios and published by Activision for Android and IOS. It featured a stimulation of World War II as its main setting, with players being able to choose their perspective as a soldier: American, Soviet, and British. What made it really a big hit was the single-player missions combined with multiplayer gameplay — one can participate in an individual strife or a team raid against other players.
The Battle Royale mode, the one featured in this year’s tournament, can feature up to 100 players. The game starts with the participants flying aboard a plane with the respective jump leaders of each team deciding where the team will land. From there, the teams will loot for arms which will further help them in killing enemies and staying alive. After a fierce battle, the last team standing wins the round.
With its graphics portraying an actual war, the skill to decide the weapon to use, and the shock factor from unprecedented explosions and kills, it is a no-brainer why COD’s popularity spiked up in this generation.
Meanwhile, Valorant is a highly competitive 5-v-5 tactical shooting game produced by RIOT Games. Unlike COD with an option of going solo, the gameplay centered around a set of agents representing countries and cultures handled by different players. One can also pick from a haul of characters with cool designs and abilities to adapt to a given situation. In a global stage, a team must survive 13 rounds, either to attack relentlessly, defend steadfastly, or create an opportunity.
Maps are well-crafted and give a person a chance to make spectacular plays and clutch-hit moments — who would not be hooked with a high end yet easily maneuvered game?
Finally, League of Legends or infamously known as LOL is another masterpiece from RIOT Games. Since it is from the same manufacturer as Valorant, it is also a team-based aggressive game grounded from a high-level of strategy and fast-paced gameplay. The main objective is to coordinate with all the members of the team in order to break enemy Nexus before the latter break theirs. The players of a team are assigned to a certain area in the Summoner’s Rift (map) to battle and gain the upperhand. Along the way, tasks must be completed by the players to be able to manipulate the field and evoke a higher chance of winning.
In a thrilling game where one must select a Champion to produce epic combat plays, garner kills, and annihilate towers — students are encouraged to unleash their adrenaline and reach the top.
CM reigned supreme
This year’s Bakbakan Call of Duty: Mobile Battle Royale Tournament was a two-day tournament held last Feb. 19–20, hosted by the AWSAMS. A total of twelve teams — two teams from the CM, College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), College of Dentistry (CD), College of Allied Medical Professions (CAMP) and College of Nursing (CN); and a single team each from the College of Public Health (CPH) and College of Pharmacy (CP) battled it out in the four rounds of Battle Royale to win the elusive title.
The rules are easy, for each kill, the team gets a point. Additional points are then given depending on their final ranking each round — and those who will accumulate the highest points, after four rounds, will be named the winners.
During the first day, CM Team 1 already had a rather quiet maneuvering battle during the first two rounds in which they kept the lead and edged out all of their opponents, finishing with a whopping 47 points. The team was led by MrBrghtsd who contributed 18 kills out of their 28 kills in the first day of the tournament.
At the end of day 1, Team 1 from the CD garnered 28 points, while Team 1 from the CAMP earned 25 points.
The CM Team 1 were able to continue their winning streak onto the second and final day of the tournament as they reaped a total of 38 points. The other teams, namely the CAS Team 2 and CM Team 2, also managed to draw a close fight in the first and second rounds wherein they managed to narrow the first day leaders’ advantage in points by bagging multiple kills. During the first round alone, CAS Team 2 and CM Team 2 bagged 11 and 17 kills respectively.
As the CM Team 1’s preeminence remained indisputable they were eventually named the champions of the CODM Battle Royal Tournament. The team was led by their Captain Luis Angelo De Grano, Gwen Pimentel, Justine Angela De Grano, and Vann Andrei Pagulayan.
Meanwhile, CAS Team 2 and CM Team 2’s late rally during the second day secured their spot in the podium as they shared the 2nd place in the tournament with 52 points each. CAS Team 2 is composed of Captain Ian Viado, Micah Lim, Jason Mago, and Stephen Torres. On the other hand, CM Team 2 is led by Captain Kyle Shaniel Robles, Justin Andrei Zent Togonon, Aljero Jimenez, and Stefanie Anne Francisco.
After bagging 25 points during the first day, CAMP Team 1 then scored another 12 points on the second day to ensure that they will achieve a podium finish in the tournament. With a total of 37 points, CAMP Team 1, composed of team captain Martin Arzadon, Joseph Manansala, Imman Antero, Cybert Corpuz, and Mark Jezreel Paguirigan, landed the third spot.
Now that the COD: Mobile Battle Royale Tournament is finished, Enriquez continuously urges the student body to continue supporting BAKBAKAN XV as exciting things are yet to come.
“Currently the Valorant & League of Legends tournaments are still ongoing. They are entering the finals & semi-finals stages respectively. Expect very intense matches as the teams are not only going for a championship, but cash prizes will also be given to the top 3 teams of each game,” Enriquez exclaimed.
