Nexplay EVOS has never entered the second round of the playoffs since entering the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League-Philippines back in Season Six.
But on Thursday afternoon, the tables finally turned for the undisputed fan favorites.
After back-to-back first-round exits, Nexplay EVOS exorcised the curse. They snatched a tight 3-0 sweep over a gutsy RSG PH squad on the opening day of the Season Eight playoffs.
With that, resident core John Paul “H2wo” Salonga – who was there when the team received heartbreaks after heartbreaks in the past seasons – finally heaved a sigh of relief.
“Natanggal na rin yung sumpa sa first round exit kasi since Season Six, natatanggal kami ng first round. Ngayon wala na, top four na. Let’s go,” said the 19-year-old jungler, who earned the SMART 5G MVP in Game Three with six kills, three deaths, and six assists.
“Comms lang talaga, tapos sinasabi naming kung sino ‘yung dapat [i-target],” he added.
Back in their debut in Season Six, the organization went down via sweep at the hands of eventual champion Bren Esports. Then it bowed out of the Season Seven playoffs via a 1-3 defeat against then rookies Work Auster Force.
Now on their third season in the country’s premier mobile MOBA league, Nexplay EVOS finally had the chance to lift the curse that has hounded them ever since.
Nexplay EVOS looks to sustain its fine form against ONIC PH, the second-ranked squad in the regular season, in the second round tomorrow at 3:00 PM.
