COMING into their matchup, RSG Philippines had already secured their playoff spot, while their “besties” Blacklist International were sitting at the bottom of the playoff race, especially after yesterday's grueling defeat against Bren Esports.
But when all hope seemed lost after RSG dealt Blacklist a shotcalling masterclass in Game 1, the Codebreakers defied the odds and mounted a comeback victory.
The 2-1 series win for Blacklist was defined by the return of their championship-level performance which has been missing so far in the season.
Shutting down EMANN
While Game 1 witnessed RSG Philippines dismantling key Blacklist targets, led by the movements from Dylan “Light” Catipon, the second game was all about Blacklist denying Eman “EMANN” Sangco.
EMANN has always been renowned for his marksmen heroes, and seeing him deploy an Aldous was a massive surprise, especially against a team that has mastered this hero.
Blacklist was aware that the Raiders’ victory would depend on his late game heroics, so they completely swarmed EMANN in the laning phase.
It didn't stop there. During teamfights, Blacklist would bait his ultimate, leading to a strong counterattack from Kiel “OHEB” Soriano and Eson.
Desperate to keep their winning shot alive, EMANN tried to lane against Edward, but his Uranus completely overwhelmed EMANN in 1-v-1 attempts, ultimately weakening RSG in Game 2.
Vintage Blacklist performance
Blacklist’s lackluster performance in the present season has been crippled by several execution problems that grew even more glaring in recent weeks.
However, in Game 3 against the Raiders, the classic systematic play from the Codebreakers was back. At the early stages of the game, ESON, alongside Salic “Hadji” Imam, was constantly poking Jonard Cedrix “Demonkite” Caranto.
And as the game went on, ESON’s impact was widely felt. He was able to crucially eliminate key tarkets with his signature Franco hooks. while Hadji was melting towers with his Popol and Kupa.
Hadji had so much space, courtesy of Edward’s Uranus serving as a barrier. Combining his frontal assaults with the combined synergized plays from Kevier and OHEB, Blacklist overwhelmed the Raiders all the way to the final play.
With their momentous victory, Blacklist has upset the apple cart of the MPL-PH standings. Nexplay EVOS’ playoff grasp now looks weaker than ever, while allowing Onic PH to proceed to the next round.
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