Coming off a very successful stint in the local scene, Philippine powerhouse Blacklist International is positioned to defend its title after winning last year’s M3 Championship.
It is evident that the returning champions are still favorites to win as bet365 gives them the lowest odds to win at 3.60. Last year’s second placers, ONIC Esports are right behind Blacklist International who are listed at 4.75
※ Current Odds Date & Time: December 30th, 6:00 A.M. (EST)
Blacklist International dominated the competition last year, winning in a dominant 4-0 fashion against regional neighborhood ONIC Esports. The Indonesian organization has been a staple of the Mobile Legends gaming community. Recently, they have recruited Filipino player Kairi Rayosdelsol to complete their roster. Joining ONIC Esports to represent their country in front of the home crowd is RRQ Hoshi, who were runner-ups in the MPL Indonesia Season 10. With the event being held in their home territory, these two teams will surely get a boost from having the crowd rallying behind them.
Meanwhile, Blacklist International will be joined by compatriots ECHO Esports to fly the Philippine flag. ECHO Esports were runners-up in the MPL Philippines, losing 2-4 against Blacklist International. The latter’s support player, Ohmyv33nus has been really instrumental in their dominant streak, winning almost every tournament they have played in. Coach BON CHAN has also been massively credited for their success both locally and internationally.
In general, Southeast Asia is the most perennial region in the game, having qualifiers for each country while the regions like North America, Latin America, and Middle East and North Africa are tasked with only one representative each. The talent pool is certainly wide in the region as it is where Moonton’s MOBA game is most successful.
Malaysian Teams like TODAK and HAQ will also be flying into Indonesia. Despite coming up short in the MPL Malaysia, TODAK is regarded as a more favorable team to win it all against their Malaysian rival.
While the game’s meta has evolved a lot these past few patches, it seems like Blacklist International has it all figured out. Being one of the best teams, Blacklist has won 3 of the last 4 MPL Philippines and even represented the country in the Southeast Asian Games and the recently concluded IESF World Esports Championship in 2022 where they finished second place right behind Indonesia.
Will the defending champions live up to the hype once again? Or will they finally fall as the final leg of the 2022 circuit culminates in Indonesia?
