M5 World Championship: Blacklist International prepare for battle

Blacklist International go into their third consecutive M-Series event, with the hopes of reaching another grand final and maybe coming out with another win.

When it comes to big teams in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Blacklist International is one of those that instantly spring to mind. Having dominated on both their local and international fronts, the team now enters their third M-Series event in a row, but this time they are missing key players who were involved before – which could either be a blessing or a curse. All that said, the Agents have been fairly erratic with their recent results, and the M5 World Championship could prove a tough challenge even for them.

The team

Edward Jay “Edward” Dapadap
Stephen “Sensui” Castillo
Salic “Hadji” Imam
Kiel Calvin “OHEB” Soriano
Renejay “RENEJAY” Barcarse
Kenneth Carl “Yue” Tadeo
Owl

Many may have counted Blacklist out from MPL PH Season 12 after both Danerie “Wise” James and Johnmar “OhMyV33NUS” Villaluna decided to take a break again – something that happened previously during Season 9 when the team struggled. However, the return of Hadji and Oheb seems to have sparked something new and fierce within the team as they plowed through the recent season – up until AP.Bren struck them down at the final hurdle. Blacklist have their ups and downs often, but when it comes to major tournaments, each and every player seems to be in a different mindset. This year, though, M5 will see half the team attending their first-ever M-Series, which may be what other teams utilise to take them down.

The M-Series

As mentioned previously, Blacklist International were once the champions of the M-Series, taking an amazing victory back at M3 with a superb lower bracket run. Three members of the squad, namely Oheb, Hadji, and Edward, were all present during this victory, and have the experience required to bring the team to another win. However, when it comes to Yue, Owl, Sensui, and Renejay, this will be their first time on the main stage, and the pressure could be building – even with the event being held in the Philippines. It’s difficult to say whether or not the tournament will go their way this time around, but the players will surely be putting their best foot forward once Group B kicks off.

The formula

One extremely important feature of Blacklist is their ability to draft and execute the perfect “UBE” strategy – an improvised version of the “Nice one, Baby” strategy, but requiring the entire team rather than just two players. The Ultimate Bonding Experience puts the entire team together as one, no matter what is going on in the game, forming a pack or group mentality to constantly have your friends close. Heroes such as Rafaela or the famed OhMyV33nus Estes are perfect in this strategy, but without V33nus around for M5, we are unlikely to see that pick go through, but Blacklist are still fluent in their understanding and execution of UBE.

All-in-all, Blacklist remains one of the favourites for M5, even after a poor showing at the recent ONE Esports MPL-Invitational 2023. Being the second seed from PH comes with high expectations, and with a relatively easy Group B, the Agents should easily power through to the Playoffs. However, nothing is ever easy when it comes to MLBB and the Land of Dawn can be a harsh battleground for even the best of teams.