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| Photo from MPL Philippines / Richard Esguerra |
by Drew Malihan
QUEZON CITY - Blacklist International survives a rather gritty ONIC Philippines to secure a sure top-four seat after a full five-game series to open the MPL Philippines Season 12 playoffs Wednesday.
Blacklist secured themselves a spot at the upcoming ONE Esports MPL Invitationals in November alongside fellow top-four finishers ECHO and AP.Bren, as well as an upper bracket semis seat where they will go against the Orcas.
The Agents surprised the Sonics in the first game with a jungle Popol and Kupa in Stephen "Sensui" Castillo's hands, forming a two-marksman lineup alongside Kiel "Oheb" Soriano's Bruno.
ONIC only managed to secure a turret while not getting any major objective, with Blacklist finishing the game in under 11 minutes as Edward Jay "Edward" Dapadap's Terizla scores the MVP nod with two kills and four assists in a 6-0 low-scoring game.
The yellow hedgehogs managed to get a game back to make the series into a best-of-three, with Frince "Super Frince" Ramirez's mid-lane Mathilda pick proved to be effective with 2/3/18 KDA performance, while Kenneth "Nets" Barro's Irithel grabbed six kills and 10 assists.
Sensui's debut pick with the Nolan did not work with him grabbing five kills and three assists, while Renejay "Renejay" Barcase's Minotaur did not have the nicest of days with 0/5/6 KDA.
Blacklist International scored a 2-1 lead in Game 3 after 18 minutes with Oheb's Brody getting five kills and five assists to grab the MVP nod, while Renejay's Mathilda grabbed a kill and 11 assists.
Nets and Jomeari "Escalera" delos Santos did not see an easy game with them combining for nine of 12 total deaths for ONIC, with only Dean "Raizen" Sumagui's Fanny securing more than one kill.
ONIC bounced back in the fourth game to force a rubber match against the Agents with a 15-6 showing, as Mark "Kramm" Rusiana's Uranus bossing against all five Blacklist players, getting five kills and six assists while soaking a third of all damage taken.
Sensui's Popol and Kupa return pick did not work this time with him getting only three assists while falling down six times, while Kenneth "Yue" Tadeo's Yue conceded three deaths and only two assists to his name.
Blacklist International turn back to their signature UBE mechanics as the secured the victory with an 8-2 kill score, with Sensui's 2/0/5 performance with the Fredrinn, while Renejay's roam Mathilda secured a kill and seven assists, involving himself in all kills.
Raizen's jungler Akai found no success as the Blacklist damage were too much to handle with him not getting any kill or assists while only falling three times.
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