BTK HAD one response to Sibol’s request: Challenge accepted. And at the end of a showmatch to cap off a RealMe amateur tournament, the North American team led by Michael "MobaZane" Cosgun stunned the SEA Games gold medalists, 3-2.
Ichiji a thorn to Sibol
BTK’s secret trump card in the series turned out to be their second Filipino member, Ichiji. His enigmatic presence served as a massive surprise for the national team, who were playing without the tandem of Johnmar "OhMyV33nus" Villaluna and Danerie "Wise" del Rosario.
In Game 1, Ichiji's Esmeralda was used to topple the backlines alongside SHARK’s Atlas. But his heroic efforts in shutting down Kiel “Oheb” Soriano, Sibol was able to bounce back, thanks to Salic “Hadji” Imam and Russel Aron “Eyon” Usi on the 22nd minute.
But it was in Game 2 where he ultimately shined. Even with all that pressure on the toplane, Ichiji’s Dyrroth remained composed, even managing to snatch a kill as he was about to be overwhelmed by Sibol.
Then he was able to decipher Sibol’s movements, dodging the opposition’s conceal and flicker play.
His presence would thwart Blacklist’s frontline assaults that perfectly synergized with the damage output of his teammates, leading to BTK grabbing a Game 2 win.
Disrupting Sibol’s signature Estes
After getting outdrafted and outplayed in an embarrassing 20-2 loss in Game 3, BTK came swooping back with a vengeance in Game 4.
A surprise jungle Thamuz pick from MobaZane was a key contributor to the matchup with a high sustain he brought to counterattacks.
And to further enhance their teamfight presence, BTK was able to decode the signature Estes pick from the Codebreakers.
As his ultimate expired, BTK already had their response as SHARK’s Mathilda became their surprise counter-engage. To further dampen Sibol, ZIA’s Julian would make his grand introduction and slowed down the national team, leading to BTK’s swift redemption.
A team effort
If Game 3 saw BTK humbled by Sibol, the opposite occurred in the final game. In earlier games, BTK would swarm their foes with waves of early group ups, centered on their damage-centric heroes, which they again repeated with great effect in the decider.
With the combination of Uranus, Balmond, Grock, and Lunox, BTK took command of jungle chokepoints. Their rivals tried to respond, but they were easily dismantled. The biggest highlight took place on the 5th minute where FwydChickn’s Brody surprisingly bursted down three members from Sibol with his Torn Apart Memory skill.
In the end, BTK proved that the American MLBB scene deserves to be under the spotlight.
Prior to Sunday's match, hype was already building for a surprise showmatch that Sibol would participate in during the tournament sponsored by the phone brand. It was rumored that Setsuna “Akosi Dogie” Ignacio’s team would replace the American upstarts, but BTK managed to make a cinematic last-minute entrance that foreshadowed their wire-to-wire win.
Prior to their matchup, there were doubts that BTK could win given how Dogie’s amateur-filled rosted dismantled them during scrimmages, but in the end the SEA Games medalists were left stunned.
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