It’s a season of shake-ups for the eight teams in the MPL PH.
The MPL PH season 12 is almost upon us. With massive roster changes rocking the professional Mobile Legends scene, it’s anyone’s guess who will come out on top.
Every team has made massive moves in order to win the season. Of course, there can only be one winner and we think that these teams are the ones to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
AP.Bren
While it’s ironic that we include AP.Bren in this list full of roster shake-ups, there’s no denying that the team has gone above and beyond this year. They may not have won last season’s MPL PH or even made it to the 2023 Southeast Asia Cup but they’ve excelled everywhere else.
AP.Bren represented the Philippines in the 2023 SEA Games and IESF World Esports Championships, winning gold in both. They may not have changed anything in their roster but why would they when they have Angelo “Pheww” Arcangel, a triple Mobile Legends gold medalist, leading the team? The only concern is their energy levels considering the stacked year they’ve had. If they can keep up this momentum heading into MPL PH season 12 however, then there’s no stopping them.
Smart Omega
The fan-favorite team is looking to bring some veteran muscle into their lineup. This season they’re bringing in Hall of Legends inductees Joshua “Ch4knu” Mangilog and Carlito Ribo Jr. to lead the way for the team.
Ribo has been playing in the MPL PH since its inception in 2018. Ch4knu has faithfully stayed with Smart Omega even back when they first under Execration in 2019. Both have won numerous local and international tournaments since then and their combined experience is sure to bring Smart Omega back into championship contention.
Blacklist International
Of course, we can’t talk about the teams coming into season 12 without talking about Blacklist International. When the rumors of star duo Jonmar “OhMyV33nus” Villaluna and Danerie “Wise” Del Rosario taking a break in season 12 were confirmed true, everyone was curious about what direction the team will go.
It seems people have forgotten that Blacklist always had a star-studded roster. Recent Hall of Legends inductee Edward Dapadap is still playing for the team, plus they’ve brought back Salic “Hadji” Imam and Kiel “OHEB” Q.Soriano as well. They have eight MPL PH championship titles between the three of them and they are three-fifths of Blacklist’s M3 World Championship winning team. Even without the VeeWise duo, the team has more than enough firepower to take on any opponent.
The 10 Man Rosters (Minana EVOS and ONIC PH)
Substitutions have always been a valid strategy between games. Most teams would only add an additional one to three players to their lineup but for this season, Minana EVOS and ONIC PH are committing all the way to a 10-man roster.
While the flexibility of a 10-man roster sounds good on paper, its effectiveness has yet to be proven. Keeping team synergy is difficult with that many players, especially when adjustments can only be made in between games. At least Minana EVOS has their player-turned-coach and Hall of Legends inductee Jeniel “YellyHaze” Bata-Anon to lean on when the team needs guidance.
Banner photo by Moonton Games.
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