E-sports

Decoding Blacklist International’s challenges on the road to M4

By Jeronne De Villa - October 03, 2022

After an unsuccessful berth at a domestic three-peat, Blacklist International has returned with a familiar vengeance in the 10th season of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League – Philippines (MPL PH).

With its star-studded squad working hard to secure its first playoff spot since 2021, what challenges will Blacklist International face to reclaim its throne?

The return of royalty

“Ever since we’ve been to Blacklist International, we haven’t been defeated by the same team twice.” 

Jonmar “OhMyV33NUS” Villaluna’s iconic statement after beating BloodThirsty Kings (BTK) in the M3 World Championships. Will the saying still ring true after MPL-PH Season 10?

Agents all over the world rejoiced as the MPL-PH Season 10 saw the return of the team’s iconic “Veewise” tandem of roamer Jonmar “OhMyV33NUS” Villaluna and jungler Danerie James “Wise” Del Rosario.

Blacklist International
Image from MPL Philippines

This came after the duo’s season-long hiatus in Season 9, a decision which nudged the organization to experiment with a different team composition and playing style.

With BLCK being particularly noteworthy for its staggeringly dominant runs in Seasons 7 and 8, teams from all around the league were pressed to step up against Blacklist International’s “UBE (Ultimate Bonding Experience)” playstyle to varying levels of success.

A new code is being written

With the team currently sitting at 2nd in the standings after suffering a four-series losing streak, fans can be sure to see a few revisions in Blacklist International’s code in the coming playoffs to keep opposition on their toes.

“Yung competition ngayong Season 10 sobrang naging dikit na. Lahat nagstep up na, lahat tumaas ang standards. Hindi mo masasabi kung ‘yung team na’to, kaya bang magdominate?” 

Kristoffer Ed “BON CHAN” Ricaplaza’s statement comes after their gritty 2-1 series win against current MPL-PH Champions RSG Philippines

During Week 6, M3 MVP Kiel “OHEB” Soriano wowed audiences after an impressive showing of his Melissa pick in the Gold Lane, which saw him score 5 kills and 4 assists. Wise has also had his fair share of interesting picks in the jungle, pulling out a wild Natalia pick in Week 1 which stamped a clean 4/1/7 KDA.

Blacklist International
Image from MPL Philippines

As the team has proven its capability to experiment and adjust on the fly, fans can expect an exciting level of intrigue in the team’s compositions heading into one of the most highly-competitive playoffs to date.

Rivals all around the map

Beyond the local scene, Blacklist International has made more than a few heated rivalries around the globe after bagging a legacy’s worth of international trophies and medals.

Blacklist International
Image from MPL Philippines

Competition in MPL Indonesia (MPL-ID) has gotten very stiff with the arrival of Filipino imports such as Kairi “Kairi” Rayosdelsol in ONIC Esports and Allen “Baloyskie” Baloy in Geek Fam. Current MPL-ID champions RRQ Hoshi have a bone to pick with Filipino teams after they were soundly defeated by both RSG Philippines and Blacklist International in two international stages.

Elsewhere, American standout Michael “Mobazane” Cosgun is busy forming a new team after his organization-less squad BloodThirsty Kings defeated Blacklist International in the Upper Bracket of the M3 World Championships.

Looking to remain a threat on the global stage, a strong contender is sure to emerge in the North American region once the M4 North American Qualifier begins.