MORE PIECES from the Codebreakers will take their leave as midlaner/roamer Salic "Hadji" Imam will also be out for Season 11. The announcements were made on Blacklist International's social media pages.
The so-called KDA machine propelled Blacklist to greater heights as his hero pool tends to contradict that of Johnmar "OhMyV33nus" Villaluna, which in turn diversified their gameplan.
Hadji can alternate between mages as seen with his Pharsa and Yve, to setup artists like Jawhead and Chou. At one point he even used Martis due to his crowd control abilities.
Given the fluidity he brings, Hadji boasted the most number of unique heroes played in Season 8. He was even a statistical juggernaut, earning him the "KDA machine" monicker. With how he transformed Blacklist in Season 8, Imam-god was awarded the regular season MVP.
Afterwards, Hadji kept on garnering more success in his career. A two-time MPL champion, a world champion, and a gold medal in the SEA Games have cemented his status among the greats.
From Season 8 all the way to the M4 World Championship, Hadji's presence was highly felt, and a well-deserved break in Season 11 could further energize the KDA Machine for the following season, which was announced to be his return.
Who will replace Hadji?
There is no Eson and Hadji for Blacklist International, which raises the question on who will serve as V33nus' support partner for Season 11.
Dexter Louis "DEX STAR" Alaba could be a frontrunner, however his rustiness and limited hero pool was exploited back in Season 9. History could once again happen if the Codebreakers would deploy him.
Two ideal prospects might emerge as both Eyon "Eyon" Usi and Kenneth Carl "Yue" Tadeo could be featured. The former was part of the gold medal squad that won the SEA Games, though the limited playing time he garnered might make him more of an MDL piece.
Meanwhile, the latter was involved in Blacklist's IESF campaign and given his prominence in the amateur scene, he might forge a new partnership with the Queen.
There's also Renejay "RENEJAY" Barcarse who is rumored to end up with the Codebreakers, either as a roamer or EXP laner. His aggressive playstyle might be the ideal replacement for Hadji.
With so many possibilities, Blacklist will surely have a lot to consider in the upcoming weeks.
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