JAKARTA — While many expected the all-Filipino battle at the M4 finals to be a close affair, the Orcas entered into Mobile Legends history with a stunning exclamation point. A 4-0 sweep of the most dominant team in MLBB history was the perfect way for ECHO PH to silence their Season 9 demons.
ECHO Express delivers retribution
Just like in previous matchups, pressuring Kiel "Oheb" Soriano was key for ECHO PH in their upper bracket finals match against Blacklist International.
Once again, it was Tristan "Yawi" Cabrera who dug into the top lane to limit Oheb's progress.
And when it came to teamfights, Yawi stood tall as his Lolita was setting up plays. A single crowd control impact would lead to Frederic Benedict "Bennyqt" Gonzales to melt Blacklist's tanky lineup with the damage output of Lunox.
Then, in case they needed to further disrupt the backlines and punish squishy foes, Sanford "SanFord" Vinuya would step up with his Lapu-Lapu.
Ultimately, the ECHO express cruised their way to a Game 1 win.
To keep up the pressure, ECHO PH selected a set of heroes that disrupted Blacklist's strategy. Against Franco, Barats, and Gloo, the Codebreakers struggled to nab any engagement opportunities.
With these three heroes, key members were picked off. When Blacklist would run away, Bennyqt would deliver the bombs from long distance and finish them off.
And even when Blacklist was able to win the final Lord fight, ECHO pulled off a Bennyqt signature. Despite losing the Lord, Bennyqt managed to sneak his way en route to the final inhibitor and bursted it down to give the Orcas 2-0 advantage.
Determined to keep their streak alive, ECHO PH came in guns blazing in Game 3. From the start all the way to the end, the Orcas displayed an extreme level of aggression.
With their surprise Guision pick from Alston "Sanji" Pabico and Lapu-Lapu from Sanford "SanFord" Vinuya, ECHO would wisely charge to the battlefield and retreat when needed.
ECHO would also stun Blacklist with random setups and quick counterattacks. There was nothing that the Codebreakers could do, forcing them to concede Game 3.
In the final push to victory, the ECHO Express did not stomp on the brakes, with their signature aggression giving them the early momentum.
With ECHO dictating each fight, the Orcas finally ended the dominance of Blacklist with a commanding 4-0 win. Bennyqt also earned the Finals MVP nod.