by Jesslie Yu || Photo Credit: MPL Philippines​/ABS-CBN News

Blacklist International broke the code again and claimed their third MPL Philippines title after defeating ECHO Philippines in a best-of-7 series, 4-2, on Sunday, October 23, 2022.

EDWARD, the Exp Laner of Blacklist International, was hailed as the Finals MVP for having a diverse hero pool and for being the pillar the agents needed to win the series. This proves his prowess from his pseudonym, Agent Zero, as the first-ever recruit of the team. 

Before the tournament proper, the Royal Duo, Danerie James “Wise” Del Rosario and Jonmar “OhmyV33nus” Villaluna, were welcomed with the MLBB’s Hall of Legends award after their break in Season 9. With recharged energies, they led the agents to victory using unorthodox picks and flawless synergy with Salic “Hadji” Imam, Kiel “OHEB” Soriano, and Edward “EDWARD” Dapadap.

“Thank you for supporting and believing in us throughout the season. Even though we struggled in the regular season, we managed to get back and win this season,” Kristoffer “BON CHAN” Ed Ricaplaza, the coach of Blacklist International, stated in an interview.

In Game 1, Wise thrilled the crowd with a peculiar Valentina jungle pick, pulling two mage heroes in the draft. Not only was ECHO baffled in this game, but also the haters who ridiculed the hero pool of King Wise. 

Bouncing back in Game 2, ECHO shut down the Estes and Faramis hero combo with an awestruck pick in the tournament, Yawi’s Valir, that dismantled the legendary UBE strategy of the Agents, dominating the battlegrounds all the way. 

Persisting their momentum, ECHO gained the upper hand in the series, 2-1, as Yawi picked the Roam Jawhead to dominate in ganks along with KarlTzy’s Jungle Akai. 

However, the iconic Benedetta pick of EDWARD from Blacklist International did wonders in Game 4, carrying the game with split pushes. Agent Zero freely roamed the map while baiting ECHO to commit to the intention that tied the series to 2-2.

In the last two games, Blacklist International established pure dominance by bringing King Wise’s Valentina Jungle for Game 4 and Guinevere Jungle for Game 5 on the table and paired up with the Lolita of OhmyV33nus. The sublime connection and expertise in commanding plays gave them the upper hand, wherein they fully controlled the two games to reclaim the trophy, 4-2.

Despite having phenomenal performances coming from Jungler of the ECHO Philippines, Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno, and the Roamer, Tristan “Yawi” Cabrera, they were bested by the Blacklist International for this series. But, the rivalry between the two teams does not end here as they will face once more in the M4 World Championship in Jakarta, Indonesia.