On Wednesday, Onic Philippines made waves in the esports community by announcing the acquisition of Grant Duane “Kelra” Pillas as part of a massive revamp of coaches and players. The team’s roster shake-up comes ahead of the highly anticipated MPL Season 13, slated to commence in March.

Kelra, a seasoned veteran in the MPL Philippines scene, joins Onic Philippines alongside Patrick “E2MAX” Caidic, who transitions from player to coach after an impressive stint last year. Tony “Ynot” Senedrin, the former head coach of Smart Omega, also makes his return to coaching as part of the Onic squad’s leadership.

Joining the revamped roster is breakout jungler King Cyric “K1ngKong” Perez, who brings his talent and experience from TNC Pro Team. K1ngKong’s addition marks a strategic move for Onic, as he replaces the formidable jungler Dean “Raizen” Sumagui, who parted ways with the team after a single season.

Despite the changes, Onic retains key players from their previous roster, including Frince “Super Frince” Ramirez in the midlane, Jomarie “Escalera” Delos Santos as the team roamer, and Jem “Jem” Lanojan holding down the EXP Lane.

Kelra and E2MAX both come with impressive pedigrees, having been standout performers for the MSC 2021 champions and MPL Philippines runners-up, Execration. Notably, the entire Execration squad made the transition to Smart Omega when MPL Philippines shifted to a franchise league in the same year.