Famed DoTA 2 caster Aldrin ‘Kuya D’ Pangan loses battle with COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines — A massive outpouring of tributes has poured in for famed e-sports caster and commentator Aldrin “Dunoo” Pangan, also known as Kuya D, after he was confirmed to have succumbed to COVID-19 on Friday.

From thanks for his quirky way of casting Defense of the Ancient (DoTA) 2 games to those who praised him for bringing Philippine e-sports and casting into the global stage, Facebook posts from relatives and friends of Pangan have been overwhelming.

TNC’s Pro Team for DoTA 2 also confirmed Pangan’s demise.

“It is with a heavy heart that we inform everyone about the passing of one of our beloved shoutcasters. When we talk about Filipino esports legends, Aldrin ‘Dunoo’ Pangan’s name is always thrown into the mix,” TNC Pro Team – DoTA 2 said in a Facebook post.

“A caster for local DotA since the beginning, his unending love for the scene pushed it to grow into what it is today. From his first TI hypecasting to the legendary ESL One Katowice shoutcasts, Dunoo’s legacy will forever be immortalized in the halls of esports history,” he added.

https://www.facebook.com/TNCProTeamDota2/posts/4390800574335555?_rdc=1&_rdr

A memorable match between the Fnatic and Team Secret teams at ESL One at Katowice 2018 made Pangan famous in the esports world. He teamed up with Marlon Marcelo to call the match, with the latter as the referee.

Fnatic appeared to be losing the third game of the best-of-three series, but the team made a legendary backdoor play, coupled with similarly legendary commentary from Pangan and Marcelo.

It was the birth of the catchphrase “lakad matatag” — literally walking strong and proud — and “normalin,” which referred to normal attacks.

Fans worldwide were drawn to the commentating style, even if many couldn’t immediately understand the words since the casting was in Tagalog.

On his Facebook account, Pangan was still updating his friends about his battle with COVID-19 as early as August 10, asking for tips for getting better and complaining of body pains, inadequate appetite, and shortness of breath.

https://www.facebook.com/dunoo.dunoo/posts/10217937855137818

Pangan is one of the 32,841 recorded deaths due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, as the country deals with another surge brought this time by the Delta variant.

As of Friday, there are 142,531 active COVID-19 infections, as the Department of Health recorded another 17,447 new cases — the second-highest single-day jump in cases.

abc