By: Jan Marcus Montevirgen
After Aurora eliminated Blacklist International last Friday in the lower-bracket semifinals with a 3-1 victory, Kiel “OHEB” Soriano was left disappointed, firmly believing that his team had the potential to achieve more than just a top-four finish.
Blacklist faced numerous challenges this season in MPL Philippines Season 14, even before the tournament began. Three of their key players—Edward “Edward” Dapadap, Renejay “Renejay” Barcarse, and Kenneth “Yue” Tadeo—departed to join Aurora. This led to a roster overhaul as Blacklist scrambled to find replacements for these critical losses.
The Tier One-backed squad struggled early in the season, securing just one win in their first seven series, a lone victory against TNC Pro Team. They finished the first half of the regular season with a dismal 1-6 record. However, little by little, Blacklist found their identity, ending the regular season in sixth place with a 5-9 record and clinching a playoff spot afer delivering surprise victories over powerhouse teams, defeating Falcons AP.Bren 2-0 and Aurora 2-1.
Entering the playoffs, Blacklist continued to exceed expectations by sweeping third-seeded Smart Omega 3-0 in the play-ins, a result few had anticipated. Their remarkable run, however, came to an end after a narrow 3-2 loss to FCAP in the upper-bracket semifinals on Thursday, followed by a 3-0 defeat to Aurora in the lower-bracket semifinals on Friday. Blacklist ultimately finished in fourth place.
In an exclusive interview with Tiebreaker Times, OHEB expressed mixed emotions—proud of how far his team had come but disheartened by their inability to reach their ultimate goal: qualifying for the M6 World Championship.
“Para sa akin, okay naman, masaya naman na malayo yung narating ng team. Pero disappointed lang tsaka malungkot yung nararamdaman ko ngayon kasi sobrang alam namin na parang sobrang laki ng inimprove namin to the point na feel namin kaya naming makatapak ng M6,” the 20-year-old gold laner said.
“Sobrang disappointed lang tsaka malungkot kaming lahat kasi nag all-in talaga kami as in binigay namin lahat ng makakaya namin kaya nakakalungkot lang na na-short kami sa top four.”
Despite many doubting Blacklist’s chances this season, the team managed to secure a position in the playoffs and finish higher than many expected. Yet, OHEB felt differently, insisting that their roster was built for championship contention, and it was in the playoffs where their true potential was meant to shine, regardless of their regular-season standing.
“Tingin ko hindi over-achieve kasi kaya binuo yung team na ‘to para mag-champion talaga tsaka makarating ng M6. So para sa akin, regardless na kung ano yung mangyari sa regular season, tingin ko ibang tournament talaga yung playoffs,” he explained.
“Kahit top six ka pa, basta makapasok ka nang playoffs, mag-iiba yung takbo ng laro kasi parang ibang tournament eh, ibang maglaro yung players, yung aura. Kaya parang top six ka man sa regular season, pantay-pantay lahat sa akin sa playoffs.”
As the season concluded, OHEB admitted uncertainty about his future with Blacklist.
“Ako hindi ko pa masasabi kung ano yung mangyayari sa akin tsaka sa Blacklist eh. Siguro magiisip muna ako tsaka kung gusto pa ako i-keep ng Blacklist or may mag-offer sa akin,” he said.
“Hindi natin alam kung ano yung desisyon ng mga nasa taas eh. Hintayin na lang natin kung ano yung magagawa.”
