Blacklist International cemented its place in the annals of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang through a dominant 2021 campaign that saw them capture back-to-back MPL Philippines titles and the M3 World Championship.
Now, the team is looking to add more to its trophy case, but this time around, the power duo of Johnmar “OhMyV33NUS” Villaluna and Danerie “Wise” Del Rosario will not be there to spearhead its cause.
Make no mistake, Blacklist International, bannered by three of the most talented young men in the league in Salic “Hadji” Imam, Kiel “OHEB” Soriano, and Edward “Edward” Dapadap, still has what it takes to complete its three-pit bid.
However, there is no denying that the team is also highly vulnerable at the moment, with the core pieces of its prized system out for the rest of the season.
The Save Point ranked the top three teams that have the potential to overthrow Blacklist International from its two-season reign in the MPL Philippines.
Omega Esports
With its core coming off a huge win in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Southeast Asia Cup, Omega Esports was poised to make a strong run for the MPL Philippines Season Eight title.
However, the team figured in a lackadaisical start due to the absence of up-and-coming gold laner Duane “Kelra” Pillas, who was handed a two-week suspension at the start of the season.
Omega Esports’ regular season roller coaster also saw them juggle Robie “Hito” Candoy and Dean “Raizen” Sumagui at the gold lane spot while eventually dropping star jungler Kielvj “Kielvj” Hernandez from the starting lineup.
With these mid-season changes, the SMART-backed squad failed to hit full potential despite its last-ditch attempt that bagged them the bronze medal.
Now, though, a well-prepared Omega Esports team is bound to emerge in Season Nine.
With a more mature Kelra and a re-energized Kielvj backing up the ever-consistent Joshua “Ch4knu” Mangilog, Omega Esports, without a doubt, will pose a great threat in Blacklist International’s attempt to write another chapter of history.
ECHO
Photo from ECHO
ECHO made the biggest splash in the off-season when it lured the likes of Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno, Tristan “Yawi” Cabrera, and Frediemar “3MarTzy” Serafico to its pod.
Arguably, ECHO has the best lineup on paper in the league right now. And the reason why this team is high on this list is that it has the complete arsenal to go toe-to-toe against the rejigged Blacklist International.
But let’s also be clear, no player from the franchise has achieved anything significant aside from Christian “Rafflesia” Fajura, Ashley “Killuash” Cruz, and KarlTzy in the past seasons. And this is the best chance for players such as Benedict “Bennyqt” Gonzales, Jankurt “KurTzy” Matira, Mark “Hadess” Lazaro, Yawi, and 3MarTzy to change that.
With proper guidance, this ECHO team can achieve or even surpass what the Tier One-backed squad has done in the past year. The only thing standing in ECHO’s quest for glory is themselves.
If this team can band together and accept their respective roles while also disregarding the spotlight that is about to come, the MPL Philippines Season Nine title is theirs without contest.
ONIC Philippines
If there’s one team that is more than ready to put an end to Blacklist International’s dominance, it’s definitely ONIC PH.
The past year was full of heartaches for the squad. During that span, they lost both the MPL Philippines Season Eight and the M3 World Championship titles to Blacklist International in lopsided affairs.
But this season, it looks like the team is done playing second fiddle to the back-to-back MPL PH champion.
Keeping its roster intact for its title hunt in Season Nine, ONIC PH has the experience, the chemistry, and more importantly, the drive to claim what they almost had in Season Eight.
Their performance in the M3 World Championship — which featured the explosive middle lane tandem of Allen “Baloyskie” Baloy and Jaylord “Hatred” Gonzales — is a clear indicator that ONIC PH is the prime candidate to take the throne.
If they can save up enough gas to finish the tournament strong – something that they failed to do in the past two tournaments – they can surely give Blacklist International a run for their money.
