IF BLACKLIST International went all out with their IESF lineup, Omega Esports revealed some interesting twists and turns.
With Patrick James "E2MAX" Caidic reportedly taking a hiatus, it was time for the club to witness the return of the king. Kiel VJ "Kielvj" Hernandez will now be the team's midlaner for the IESF campaign, as announced in their Facebook post. He last played in Season 8.
And if that wasn't news enough for diehard Omega fans, the team also had another surprise.
Hours before their IESF post, the team officially unveiled their latest acquisition. Straight from the team's grassroots program, Deomark "Mikko" Tabangay will be making his professional debut, playing in both the IESF and MPL-PH Season 10.
Since he'll be playing in the IESF, this means that Joshua "Ch4knu" Mangilog will be taking a hiatus.
Both players will be making their mark in the IESF alongside team staples Duane "Kelra" Pillas, Renz Errol "Renzio" Cadua, and Dean Christian "Raizen" Samagui.
What are the odds of Omega representing the Philippines?
Coach Jomie "Pakbet" Abalos' decision to field a lineup with 3 veterans, a returnee, and a rookie raises a lot of questions about their overall output.
Historically, Omega is a team that gains their momentum at the latter weeks or the latter stages of the tournament, and with the limited timeline of the IESF qualifiers, it would be interesting to see how they fare.
Moreover, Mikko will be given the daunting task of being Ch4knu's replacement and fans will be keeping an eye on him given Ch4kmamba's overall legacy.
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