BOTH Blacklist International and Nexplay EVOS are desperate to gain some momentum after suffering from a losing slump. A 2-0 sweep would further enhance their playoff hopes.
Though neither team secured the sweep, a series win is still a win, and Blacklist International managed to stand their ground and secured a hard earned 2-1 victory over the Roaring Tigers.
The matchup revealed Blacklist’s surprise antics, including a return of a longtime MPL veteran and some unexpected hero picks.
Blacklist code unbroken, all thanks to their surprise strategies
Blacklist made a surprise inclusion in their lineup as Mark Jayson “Eson” Gerardo made his return in the starting lineup, replacing Dexter Louise “DEX STAR” Alaba.
While his performances in the first few weeks were shaky, he managed to turn back the clock against the Roaring Tigers.
His Grock in Game 1 provided a lot of vision and given his mastery with the hero as well as the buff that he received, he was able to confidently move around the Land of Dawn.
But that wasn’t the only surprise that took place in Game 1.
Kiel “Oheb” Soriano deployed a Ruby — an unusual choice in his hero pool centered on mages and marksmen. In the end, he was able to synergize well with ESON in pressuring the lanes and securing key kills.
In the end, Blacklist overwhelmed Nexplay in Game 1, even denying Michael “MP The King” Endino control of the match as he was easily dissected.
Blacklist suffered a setback in the second game as Nexplay denied Eson’s signature Grock, carving out space for the Roaring Tigers to swarm their foes with their Jawhead and Gloo tandem.
But they managed to bounce back by revealing their hidden trump card.
Even without his Franco, Hilda, and Grock, Eson was tasked to lead the charge with his Ruby, which was impactful in Game 3.
Eson managed to create plays with created space for Salic “Hadji” Imam to engage. To further supplement his setups were the ‘UBE’ timers where Blacklist grouped up together. As Eson shocked his enemies, the other members — specifically Oheb — were able to mount the counterpunch.
And to make matters worse was the heroics from Edward “Edward” Jay Dapadap. Given the tankiness of his Esmeralda, a single pull from Renejay “RENEJAY” Barcarse forced Nexplay to unleash all their abilities on him, while his teammates would provide the long-range barrage.
Renejay even tried to make a last minute Hail Mary, but it wasn’t enough as The Codebreakers won the final game.
As Blacklist celebrates their victory, Nexplay are still figuring out ways to deal with their losing slump. Should the team stick to definite main five or should they carry on with their constant player rotations? The clock is ticking for the fan favorite squad.
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