RRQ xffero: "Without the support of my family, I don't know if I'd be standing here in Paris today"

David Sean Michael Monangin, aka xffero and formerly known as Tehbotol competing for Rex Regum Qeon at Champions 2025 in Paris.

"I'm the backbone of my family, and they matter so much to me. I need to keep trying and working hard for their sake"

After a hard-fought match against Bilibili Gaming, Pacific representatives Rex Regum Qeon have kept their playoff hopes alive, forcing a decider against MIBR for the final spot at the VALORANT Champions 2025. With only a few hours to regroup, Team RRQ is looking to ride this momentum into their upcoming clash with the Brazilian juggernauts. In an exclusive interview, David "xffero" Monangin sat down with Sheep Esports to discuss his recent victory, the importance of family, what drives him, and what fans can expect from the encounter against MIBR.

How did it feel going into the BLG match after being close to elimination, and what was your confidence like before the series?

David "xffero" Monangin: "We were honestly pretty confident taking on BLG. Our staff read them well and we knew how to take them down. We were a bit shocked on Sunset because they changed comps and how they usually play, but on the other two maps we read them well. Props to our staff.

It feels like RRQ has a map one curse since you often lose the first game. This time it was also your map pick on Sunset—were there any nerves after losing it?

xffero: I don't think we had nerves even though we lost the first map. As you said, we always lose that first map, even in the APAC League. We went through scenarios like this so many times, and even if it was our map pick, we didn't really care. We just talked it out, reset, and focused on the next one.

How do you feel about RRQ’s current form? Do you feel like the team is now finding its form and getting closer to what you showed in APAC?

xffero: We are always improving, bit by bit. There is still growth to be had, and we want to learn even more in the coming matches. We see our matches as experience to be earned. This is our second international event and it's important that we take it one map after the other.

You used to play in gaming cafés and have since been to Korea, Japan, Toronto, and Paris—how do you feel about your growth as a person and a player from all that travel, and are you more comfortable going to those countries now?

xffero: I'm extremely grateful to live through these experiences and travel around the world for free. I'm so happy that I made this decision to pursue professional play. There was a moment where I had to choose between that and college, and I told myself that if I didn't try to go pro, maybe I'd regret it when I was older. I'm really glad I'm here.

Are you happy with what you’ve achieved so far, and what kind of legacy do you want to create?

xffero: I'm really happy about my achievements, but there's still one more I need to achieve. Winning Stage One was already a huge goal of mine, but now my next goal will be to win a global event.

What do you think is still missing for you to achieve your goals? Is it more about gameplay or confidence and mentality?

xffero: I'd say it's about mentality. In-game performances matter, but on stage, what makes the difference is how you handle things mentally. It's what helped us win Stage One and, on the contrary, one of the reasons why we went home so early in Toronto. That shows our mentality is not yet in the place we need it to be. Right now, that's what I'm focused on. You cannot achieve all of your goals really fast—these things take time. It's important we take in all the experience and learn about ourselves if we want to fulfill our goal of winning a global event.

In your eyes, what is the hardest part about being a professional player?

xffero: Honestly, the hardest part of a pro player's life is outside of the game. Obviously, practice is hard, sitting 8 to 10 hours a day at your computer, but in my eyes, living so far from my family—that's the hardest part.

Since you became a pro player, how has esports changed you as a person? Do you feel you've matured and grown up because of these experiences?

xffero: Yeah, definitely. Being an esports player is not easy. You live through a lot of hard experiences, and you need those to then fight through those same hard moments of your life. Even if things are hard, you need to get back up and keep moving forward, always.

How do you feel about your relationship with your family today, and how important is their support to you?

xffero: My family is really important to me. Every day, they pray for me and give me motivation. They send me those motivational speeches and tell me, "Don't give up. You've been through this. You can get back up and fight." Without their support, I don't know if I'd be standing here in Paris today. I'm the backbone of my family, and they matter so much to me. I need to keep trying and working hard for their sake.

You’re facing MIBR next, a team that surprised many by beating BLG. Who do you see as favorites for the match?

xffero: MIBR is technically from the upper bracket, so I wouldn't say we are favorites. In my eyes, you should never underestimate an enemy, no matter what others think of them. Anyone can beat you in tournaments, and practice will never yield the same results as tournament play. I would say our match against them is a toss-up, 50-50. It'll be about who has the best mentality on stage.

What do you think will be your edge, and what should you focus on?

xffero: We need to focus on our mistakes. We need to cover those up and play like we normally do in scrims. We've been pretty good in practice, but it's hard to convert that onto the stage.

What do you think is the minimum result you need at Champions to consider this a successful year?

xffero: At the start of this year, we had never been to an international event. This is our first Champions as a team. Our goal at the start was just to make playoffs in the Pacific. We need to go step by step. In Toronto, we couldn't win a single series. For now, I would say our goal is to make the playoffs here in Paris.

The viewing party in Jakarta was going crazy earlier. Do you have a message for all the Indonesian fans supporting you?

xffero: Thank you so much to all our fans back in Indonesia. Please keep supporting us, even if our match against Fnatic was disappointing. We promise you that we'll show our best form against MIBR. We want to win just as much as you want us to."

Header Photo Credit: Adela Sznajder/Riot Games