THERE'S NO denying the reality this season, Blacklist International are currently in a losing slump.
A 2-1 loss against TNC was an alarming sign for the Codebreakers as they have suffered against a team who is struggling to gain momentum in Season 13.
And after winning against Omega Esports, Blacklist suffered a string of defeats, against contenders like Onic and ECHO PH, and recently in Week 4 against the Raiders.
There have been theories about Blacklist's subpar performances in recent games, with some pointing at the absence of Renejay "Renejay" Barcarse as a key factor.
Is Renejay's absence really that big? Here's what RSG's Coach Brian "Panda" Lim has to say.
Why is Blacklist struggling?
Looking at the top teams in the MPL, one word has truly encapsulated their success: aggression.
ECHO PH has always been an advocate of an aggressive playstyle since the emergence of their super team back in Season 9, meanwhile AP.Bren has learned to develop this approach and execute it to perfection as seen with how they marshalled Kairi "Kairi" Rayosdelsol in the M5 finale.
Now is this a trait that Blacklist needs?
"I kinda feel like they're lacking sa aggressiveness because lahat ng top tier teams right now like ECHO, Bren, and Onic, all these teams have aggressiveness and they know how to initiate and fight right away," started Coach Panda.
When looking at how Blacklist performed in previous seasons, specifically under the V33Wise era, one may notice that the Codebreakers tend to be very patient and calculated in dealing with their rivals.
"Sa Blacklist mainly because of their gameplay or maybe because of their heroes, it's hard for them to initiate right away where the enemy will be caught off guard. So the best way how Blacklist will counter the enemy is the UBE strat, where they know how to punish the enemy kapag mali yung execution," revealed Coach Panda.
However given the recent roster change, it seems Blacklist has yet to find its mojo.
"But dahil their team right now is not 100% confident with their main roster right now, they are still trying to execute their UBE strat but not there pa."
"I think Blacklist needs more chemistry talaga with their roamer," as stated by Coach Panda.
The Hitman factor
While it seems there are concerns with the roamer position for Blacklist as seen with the sudden shift between Salic "Hadji" Imam and Kim "Kimpoy" Cruz, questions surrounding Renejay's impact were suddenly brought up.
Just how intergral is Renejay for the Codebreakers?
"He can play Chou, Khufra, Kaja, mga aggressive heroes, at the same time he was able to play Mathilda, Rafa, Estes, Diggie, like that. So he can offer offense and defense at the same time just like basketball," reflected Coach Panda.
His praises didn't just stop there as Panda further elaborated saying: "Tapos magaling pa siya mag-shotcall kaya Blacklist was able to play UBE strat plus aggressive game at the same time. Kaya malakas yung chemistry and gameplay nila last season."
Last season, Renejay introduced a new dynamic to the Code as his aggressive playstyle mixed with Blacklist's signature cautious playstyle has pushed them to greater heights, en route to an M5 World Championship run, silencing the critics who argue that Blacklist revolves around the V33Wise tandem.
But now with him gone, Blacklist will have to play with the cards that they currently have.
And despite his absence, Renejay would try to make his presence felt by giving the Codebreakers the boost that they need.
"Siya yung lagi kong nakakausap kapag nada-down ako," said Kimpoy in the post-match press conference.
Kimpoy even highlighted that he still has a lot to learn, and the Hitman would oftentimes give him a plethora of advices.
“Nagtutulungan kasi kami ngayon eh. Kung ano yung ginagawa niya dati, pinapasa niya sa akin ngayon para maging maayos yung laro ko. Ngayon nagsisimula pa lang ulit ako kasi ngayong week pa lang ako nakapag-practice ulit. Talagang malaki yung hinahabol ko ngayon.”
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