COACH KRISTOFFER "BON CHAN" Ricaplaza published a vlog that seemed to hint on potential moves in the upcoming MPL offseason.
And from the get-go, he started with a blind item which could potentially rattle the scene.
"Update number 1, alam mo ba may dalawang team sa MPL PH ang magswa-swap ng jungler?" he started.
"Clue, isa sa mga jungler na ito ay most heroes na ginagamit niya ay puro assassin, while ang isa naman na kapalitan niya ay dating gumagamit ng assassin pero nitong nakaraang season, puro utility jungler na ang ginagamit."
Based on what BON CHAN said, would this mean that TNC's King Cyric "K1NGKONG" Perez and Onic PH's Dean "Raizen" Sumagui would swap teams? After all, K1NGKONG is renowned for his usage of assassing junglers while Raizen was an assassin user that transitioned to utilities in recent seasons.
There has been a leaked photo featuring K1NGKONG alongside Onic's ranks which could potentially hint on his arrival to the Hedgehogs.
While this could be a strong case for a K1NGKONG-Raizen swap, there are other names that come to mind. Like Raizen, Karl "KarlTzy" Nepomuceno has also made that leap of faith in jungler transitions, but is he likely to join the Phoenix Army?
But that wasn't the only blind item from BON CHAN as he also revealed another cryptic clue.
H2wo is back?
"Isang sikat na jungler na may malaking fanbase ang magbabalik...Pero ang mas exciting na part ay, 'Saang team siya magbabalik?' Ito ay team na sabihin na natin malaki din ang fanbase, may solid na fanbase din sila," said BON CHAN.
"Ang team na ito ay minsan namin naging rival."
Two junglers come to mind from BON CHAN's video namely John Paul "H2wo" Salonga and Jonard Cedrix "Demonkite" Caranto. The former is currently taking a leave in MLBB esports, while the latter grinded his way in MPL Malaysia, hoping for a return to PH soil.
RSG PH is dubbed as Blacklist International's 'bestie,' which could suggest that Demonkite could be eyeing for a return to his previous club especially after bringing them to MPLI glory.
And with Irrad already with RRQ, the possibilities for Demonkite's return have increased.
Meanwhile, BON CHAN could also refer to H2wo given his overwhelming fanbase, which is also something that Omega Esports is also proud of.
While H2wo to Omega could be an exhilarating prospect, it also raises the question on how this will fare especially since Omega are currently developing their prized rookie, Ron Matthew "Matt" Papag.
But besides H2wo, it's also possible that BON CHAN was hinting on Kairi "Kairi" Rayosdelsol.
Kelra to Onic PH?
Another blind item that BON CHAN mentioned stem from a gold laner that has been making a lot of waves in the competitive scene.
"Isa sa mga tinitingalang marksman sa MPL PH ay lilipat ng team. Saang team? MPL PH din. Anong team? Sabihin natin may tatlong team sa MPL ang hindi pa nakakakuha ng kanilang first title."
Does this mean that the rumors of Kelra joining Onic are indeed legit?
Coach Yeb taking a break?
Moving forward, BON CHAN also opened the possibilities of a notable MLBB coach in Indonesia taking a break.
"Alam niyo ba na isa sa mga best coach sa Indo ay possible o sabihin natin na mataas ang chance na magpahinga," revealed the M3 winning coach.
It's possible that BON CHAN discreetly talked about three time MPL ID champ, Coach Paul Denver "Yeb" Miranda, who has recently celebrated his wedding.
In addition, Coach Yeb came from an overwhelming loss against AP.Bren in the M5 finale, his 2nd M-series finals loss.
Is RSG PH disbanding?
While BON CHAN has given a glimpse of what will happen in the MPL offseason, there were others who also discussed on some potential moves that could happen.
MPL casters Caisam "Wolf" Nopueto and Frederick Handy "Mirko" Loho gave hints in 8G Podcast at the 50th minute, where RSG could slowly fizzle out in the MPL scene.
"Cause I heard rumors that RSG is disbanding, like I mean tha team is starting to separate right? So EMANN's going, Irrad is already in RRQ," as stated by Mirko is the podcast.
Will this mean that RRQ PH will take over RSG's slot in the local scene? Is Coach Brian "Panda" Lim setting his sights on an overseas move?
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