If you meet him today, he will simply smile and say, “I am an esports personality. Whatever avenue that may be.” But long before the fighting game tournaments and arena hype, Pica was a young actor discovered at fifteen. After joining acting workshops under a major network, he was encouraged to finish high school first. Three years later, he returned to the same studio out of curiosity. To his surprise, the staff still remembered him. That moment opened the door to VTRs, talent casting and years in the entertainment industry from 2008 to 2013.
What he did not expect was that a random trip to a mall arcade would spark his next chapter. He was only practicing Tekken at first, not chasing anything serious. “It was unintentional,” he says. But the FGC slowly pulled him in — not just for the competition, but for the people, the conversations, the feeling of belonging. It was not love at first sight. He was intimidated at the start. The skill ceiling was high and it felt like a space you had to earn your way into. But the more he stayed, the more he realized this was home.
WHERE ACTING AND ESPORTS COLLIDED
The defining moment came when he picked up the mic for a major tournament. “People started looking for my voice.” That was when it clicked. Everything he learned from acting and hosting came rushing back — the timing, the emotion, the instinct to read the room. “Expressions and delivery play such a vital role in commentary because as a commentator, you live in the moment. People see authenticity in your enjoyment.” He fell in love not just with the games, but with telling their stories live.
Improvisation became the biggest adjustment. Unlike acting, there were no scripts. No second takes. But the rush was real. And it was irreplaceable.
Fighting games made the most sense to him on a soul level. One on one. No excuses. All heart. “I love art, and since fighting games deal with martial arts, I am drawn to the creativity. Styles, character designs, combos and strategies.” It is expression, it is discipline, it is accountability. You win, it is all you. You lose, you own it. That is what made it beautiful.
A FUTURE STILL WIDE OPEN
If you ask him about the Filipino FGC, he answers in one word: “Passionate.”“In the Philippines, once you get on stream or on stage, you will know exactly how they feel about you.” The crowd is alive, the players are fearless, the love is loud. What he wishes for is simple — more support, and less ego. Because the talent here is not just good. It is world class.
Will he ever return to acting? “I will never say never.” Commentary is already part of his identity. But if the chance comes, he would love to explore the screen again. And there is one more dream that lives quietly in his heart. “I truly want to sing again. I have never poured out my heart on stage. I want to do that at least once.”
At the end of the day, what keeps him here is the same thing that brought him in. “The moments and the people.” The laughter, the rush, the electricity that only comes when something is happening right here, right now, and it is real.
From Accidental Actor to Beloved Esports Dreamer
If you meet him today, he will simply smile and say, “I am an esports personality. Whatever avenue that may be.” But long before the fighting game tournaments and arena hype, Pica was a young actor discovered at fifteen. After joining acting workshops under a major network, he was encouraged to finish high school first. Three years later, he returned to the same studio out of curiosity. To his surprise, the staff still remembered him. That moment opened the door to VTRs, talent casting and years in the entertainment industry from 2008 to 2013.
What he did not expect was that a random trip to a mall arcade would spark his next chapter. He was only practicing Tekken at first, not chasing anything serious. “It was unintentional,” he says. But the FGC slowly pulled him in — not just for the competition, but for the people, the conversations, the feeling of belonging. It was not love at first sight. He was intimidated at the start. The skill ceiling was high and it felt like a space you had to earn your way into. But the more he stayed, the more he realized this was home.
WHERE ACTING AND ESPORTS COLLIDED
The defining moment came when he picked up the mic for a major tournament. “People started looking for my voice.” That was when it clicked. Everything he learned from acting and hosting came rushing back — the timing, the emotion, the instinct to read the room. “Expressions and delivery play such a vital role in commentary because as a commentator, you live in the moment. People see authenticity in your enjoyment.” He fell in love not just with the games, but with telling their stories live.
Improvisation became the biggest adjustment. Unlike acting, there were no scripts. No second takes. But the rush was real. And it was irreplaceable.
Fighting games made the most sense to him on a soul level. One on one. No excuses. All heart. “I love art, and since fighting games deal with martial arts, I am drawn to the creativity. Styles, character designs, combos and strategies.” It is expression, it is discipline, it is accountability. You win, it is all you. You lose, you own it. That is what made it beautiful.
A FUTURE STILL WIDE OPEN
If you ask him about the Filipino FGC, he answers in one word: “Passionate.” “In the Philippines, once you get on stream or on stage, you will know exactly how they feel about you.” The crowd is alive, the players are fearless, the love is loud. What he wishes for is simple — more support, and less ego. Because the talent here is not just good. It is world class.
Will he ever return to acting? “I will never say never.” Commentary is already part of his identity. But if the chance comes, he would love to explore the screen again. And there is one more dream that lives quietly in his heart. “I truly want to sing again. I have never poured out my heart on stage. I want to do that at least once.”
At the end of the day, what keeps him here is the same thing that brought him in. “The moments and the people.” The laughter, the rush, the electricity that only comes when something is happening right here, right now, and it is real.
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pica_lozano
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