Charles Yeo gets geeky, talks similarities in his roles in Dota 2 and Reform Party

It’s no secret that Reform Party member and former Ang Mo Kio GRC election candidate Charles Yeo loves his video games. Technical glitches had forced him to use his personal Nvidia GeForce account to broadcast an online livestream with his fellow party members, inadvertently showcasing his library of games, including World Of Warcraft (WOW). 

Following the end of the general election season, it was back to gaming for the 30-year-old lawyer — specifically, Dota 2, and he has been broadcasting his matches live on Facebook. This, in between entertaining his burgeoning fanbase on Reddit and Instagram as well as dealing with a harassment lawsuit by Imran Rahim, a lawyer and grassroots activist who was accused of sexual misconduct.

In a recent video interview with The Royal Singapore, however, Yeo dived even deeper into his zeal for gaming, drawing parallels with his playing style in WOW and Dota 2 and the team-carrying role he carried out for RP during the election. 

“My friends who know me personally or the people who I play games with won’t be surprised at all, because they know that is my character,” he said. “They know I’m the first man in and last man out.” 

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Although Yeo became an overnight meme thanks to his struggles with a Mandarin speech during a political broadcast, the advocate and solicitor has been largely praised for being bold enough to take on the task, despite his inabilities. His RP teammate Darren Soh was apparently unwell and could not make it to the studio recording, leaving Yeo with only 15 to 20 minutes to prepare. 

“This strong sense of responsibility to his team is laudable,” noted Temasek Holdings CEO and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s wife Ho Ching. 

“This willingness to try is how we all can learn and improve over time. Yes, it is painful to see his struggle, but that is no reason to make fun of him or his courageous effort.”

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With a higher-than-average Matchmaking Rating (MMR) of over 5,000 in Dota 2 (which means he’s been winning matches very often), Yeo stated that his experiences as a tank/support is similar to his role for RP: playing for the team and not for his personal gains. 

But aside from going geeky about playing Necrophos in Dota, Yeo also affirmed his penchant for helping out the underprivileged and encouraged others to do so as well. 

ilyas@asiaone.com