Even after two painful grand finals losses and the likelihood that its superstar jungler might not be able to play in the upcoming SEA Games due to age restrictions, Onic PH has decided to retain its roster for Season 9 of MPL PH.
The announcements were made on its official Facebook page on Wednesday.
Both Karl Mico “Micophobia” Quitlong and Paul Ian “Beemo” Sergio will still showcase their roaming capabilities alongside the team’s primary shotcaller, Allen Jedric “Baloyskie” Baloy.
Then there’s Jaylord “Hatred” Gonzales who proved his value as a midlaner, silencing his critics who constantly bash him during his stint with Execration.
And who can forget the explosive trio that took centerstage especially in the M3 World Championship.
Kairi “Kairi” Rayosdelsol proved that he is the best jungler in the world after outclassing his Indonesian and North American counterparts, while Gerald “Dlarskie” Trinchera showed his prowess as Onic’s spacemaker due to his impact around the map.
Then there’s Mark “Markyyyyy” Capacio, who was able to step out of his shadow as the team’s former 6th man to a glorified gold lane superstar.
And in case the team needs more firepower, they can still utilize the services of Nowee “Ryota” Cabailo.
Coaching this team is Paul Denver “Yeb” Miranda who managed to avenge his disastrous 0-13 record in Season 7 with a championship run in Season 8 and the M3 World Championships.
Is it Onic's time?
With an intact roster, Onic is banking on the continued progress of its players beginning with the tandem of Baloyskie and Hatred, who worked wonders in their brief appearance in M3 and should be major assets in the 9th season of MPL Philippines.
Then there’s Micophobia who was considered a rising prospect last season. Given his experience in Season 8, he is being counted upon to come into his own in Season 9, which could deepen Coach Yeb’s rotation.
Given Yeb’s penchant for allowing players to switch roles as seen with Hatred, he is expected to do the same especially in the jungler role, especially since Kairi won’t be available for the upcoming SEA Games.
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