Angelo "Pheww" Arcangel is one of the most decorated players in MLBB history, and he enters MPL PH Season 17 without a team for the first time in over six years. That fact alone tells you why his name is trending.
#Who Is Pheww?
Full name: Angelo Kyle Arcangel Birthday: June 18, 1999 (26 years old) Nationality: Filipino Role: Mid Laner Status: Free agent (as of February 4, 2026)
Pheww is the captain archetype in its purest form. He spent his entire professional career under the Bren lineage, starting with Bren Esports, continuing through AP.Bren, and finally transitioning to Team Falcons PH in early 2025. His departure from Team Falcons ahead of MPL PH S17 is the biggest roster shock of this offseason in the Philippine scene.
He is an inductee of the MPL PH Hall of Legends alongside legends like Wise and OhMyV33NUS. His nickname, "Idol ng Mga Kids," was not handed to him. He earned it across 15 seasons of professional play.
#Career History and Team Timeline
Pheww joined the Bren organization all the way back in 2018. What followed was a career that defined an era of Philippine MLBB.
He won MPL PH Season 2 with Bren Esports in early 2019, then added the Season 6 title in October 2020. That same core carried Bren to the M2 World Championship in January 2021, defeating EVOS Legends 4-3 in a series that still gets replayed on Filipino esports channels today.
The roster then rebranded as AP.Bren. After a rebuilding phase that saw them miss the top spots in Seasons 8 through 11, Pheww led the team back to championship form. AP.Bren swept Blacklist International 3-0 in the MPL PH Season 12 upper bracket finals, punching their ticket to the M5 World Championship. They went on to win it all, beating ONIC ID 4-3 in Kuala Lumpur in December 2023. Pheww's second world title.
In early 2025, the entire M5 roster's AP.Bren contracts expired. They transferred as a group to Team Falcons PH, keeping the core together under a new banner. But MPL PH Season 15 and 16 did not produce another championship run. Team Falcons finished 5th-6th in Season 16, and by February 4, 2026, Pheww was out.
#The Resume at a Glance
Pheww's trophy shelf is unmatched for a mid laner in SEA MLBB:
| Achievement | Details |
|---|---|
| M2 World Champion | Bren Esports, January 2021 |
| M5 World Champion | AP.Bren, December 2023 |
| MPL PH Season 2 Champion | 2019 |
| MPL PH Season 6 Champion | 2020 |
| MPL PH Season 12 Champion | 2023 |
| SEA Games Gold Medal | 2019, Sibol |
| SEA Games Gold Medal | 2023, Sibol |
| IESF World Esports Championship | 2023, Sibol |
| Games of the Future | 2024, AP.Bren |
| First player to 3,000 career assists | MPL PH Season 15 |
Two M-series titles. Three MPL PH domestic championships. Two SEA Games gold medals. First player in league history to reach 3,000 career assists. That last milestone came in Season 15 against TNC Pro Team, during a 2-0 sweep. Numbers are proof, not decoration, and these numbers confirm a player who did not just show up for big moments but showed up for every match across an eight-year career.
#Playing Style and Hero Pool
Pheww is not the flashiest mid laner in the region. He never was. His value has always been in macro control, shot-calling, and the mental composure to keep a team from unraveling under pressure.
His signature heroes include Valentina, Lunox, and Lylia. He is known for adapting his hero pool to whatever the team needs rather than forcing a signature pick. That flexibility made him the ideal captain, someone who could flex mid, enable his teammates, and trust his team to execute while he managed rotations and objective timings from the center of the map.
His assist numbers are a direct reflection of that playstyle. A mid laner who racks up 3,000 career assists is one who makes plays for others, not just for himself.
#Why He Is Trending in 2026
Pheww trends for one simple reason: nobody expected this to happen.
He had been with the same core group of players since 2020. FlapTzy, Super Marco, Owgwen, and Pheww were a unit. When Team Falcons replaced him with Hadji ahead of Season 17, the MLBB community hit pause. This was not a young player getting cut. This was the captain, the face, the veteran who had guided that exact roster to two world titles.
The free agency announcement on February 4, 2026 sent shockwaves across SEA social media. Pheww posted that he is open to offers from MPL Indonesia, Malaysia, EECA, and China, explicitly saying he is willing to relocate. For a player who has spent his entire career in the Philippines, that statement carries weight.
Teams like EVOS ID and ONIC PH were immediately mentioned in transfer rumors. MPL PH Season 17 kicks off March 20, with the roster lock having passed in mid-February. As of this writing, Pheww remains unsigned.
#What Comes Next
The uncomfortable reality is that Team Falcons' decision to move on signals that the organization is building around a different identity. Hadji is a legitimate replacement mechanically, with MPL PH Season 8, Season 10, and M3 gold on his own resume. But the Pheww-era Team Falcons was built on Pheww's leadership. Replacing the captain changes more than the lineup.
For Pheww, the question is whether he takes a year away from the competitive circuit, joins a Philippine team ahead of a mid-season acquisition window, or follows through on the international move. His willingness to relocate is not a bluff. His track record on the international stage, from SEA Games to IESF to two M-series finals, shows a player who elevates in bigger arenas.
MPL PH Season 17 starts without him. That is a storyline worth watching throughout the season, because wherever Pheww lands, the spotlight follows.
For context on how his former team and the rest of the S17 field shapes up, see the MPL Season 17 preview already published on this site.
#Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pheww's real name? Angelo Kyle Arcangel. Born June 18, 1999.
What team does Pheww play for in MPL PH S17? He does not. Pheww entered free agency on February 4, 2026 after Team Falcons PH parted ways with him ahead of Season 17.
What are Pheww's biggest achievements? Two M-Series World Championships (M2 and M5), three MPL PH domestic titles (Seasons 2, 6, 12), two SEA Games gold medals, an IESF World Esports Championship title, and the Games of the Future 2024 title with AP.Bren.
What role does Pheww play? Mid lane. He is also the team captain in every roster he has been part of, known for in-game shot-calling and macro leadership.
Is Pheww retired? No. He has explicitly stated he is looking for a new team and is open to playing in MPL Indonesia, Malaysia, EECA, or China.