Blacklist to take home 2nd place in MSC 2021

MANILA (UPDATE) - Execration have broken the code.

Execration avenged their Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League finals loss as they decode Blacklist International to come out as champions of the Southeast Asia Cup this year (MSC 2021) Sunday evening, 4-1.

• Mobile Legends: Wise's Aldous delivers as Blacklist takes MPL7 title

They are the second Filipino team to win the MSC title after Aether Main (now Bren Esports) in 2018.

It was an all-Filipino finals showdown as both squads dominated 10 other teams across Southeast Asia to come out on top.

Blacklist were able to take the low-scoring Game 1 as they took advantage of a 9,000 gold lead gap against Execration, behind Danerie James “Wise” Del Rosario's Brody.

Execration shocked Blacklist in Game 2, dealing them their first game loss throughout the series with a blowout to level with the MPL - Philippines champions.

Execration were kept to just 3 kills in the early game for Game 3 compared to Blacklist’s 11, thanks to Kiel “Oheb” Soriano's Harith. Around 7 minutes in, Kiel “Kielvj” VJ Hernandez's Brody stunned Oheb, who tried to Zaman Force away from the pick-off, but was shut down as Grant “Kelra" Duane Pillas' Esmeralda leaped on him with a Falling Starmoon around 7 minutes in to show some signs of life.

Blacklist lead for most of Game 3 - even wiping out all of Execration’s turrets, but the MPL runner-ups were able to counter Blacklist’s UBE (Ultimate Bonding Experience) strategy behind Renz “Renzio” Errol Cadua's Benedetta and Kelra's Esmeralda.

Execration swung the momentum in their favor, however in a Lord fight around 18 minutes in, taking out the squishiest heroes of Blacklist first before taking down Edward “EDWARD” Dapadap's very durable Barats - and eventually take Game 3.

Blacklist was leading behind a feeding Diggie strategy care of Jonmar “OhMyV33nus” Villaluna. But an initiation by Kelra’s Lunox midway into Game 4 to win a team fight gave Execration the momentum, capping the game off with a wipe out 22:34 minutes in to reach match point.

Execration were able to snowball this momentum to Game 5 as Kelra's Chang'e proved too painful for Blacklist International's heroes in team fights, to take the title.

Blacklist failed to repeat their ML:BB Professional League title win against an Execration squad they faced in the Philippine grand finals last May 31.

• Mobile Legends: Wise's Aldous delivers as Blacklist takes MPL7 title

Kelra emerged as MSC 2021's most valuable player (MVP) with his powerful performances as mage heroes Harith, Kagura, and the game-winning Chang'e.

Blacklist and Execration, who both qualified for the tournament as finalists of MPL - Philippines Season 7, came out of the MSC 2021 group stages unscathed, as Blacklist took down EVOS SG and Cambodian banner team Impunity KH in the "group of death"; and as Execration defeated EVOS SG and Nightmare Esports to both qualify for the upper bracket playoffs.

Blacklist were dominant in the MSC upper bracket as they sent M1 world champs and MPL S7 Indonesia champs EVOS Legends, and Malaysian champs RSG MY. They never dropped a match until the Grand Finals.

Execration plunged to the lower bracket after losing to EVOS Legends in their upper bracket opener, but were able to avenge this by sending the Indonesian champs home in the lower bracket finals, with a 3-1 blowout.

EXECRATION
Renz “Renzio” Errol Cadua
Patrick “E2MAX” James Caidic
Kiel “Kielvj” VJ Hernandez
Joshua “Ch4knu” Mangilog
Grant “Kelra" Duane Pillas
Billy ”Z4pnu" Jazha Alfonso

BLACKLIST INTERNATIONAL
Jonmar “OhMyV33nus” Villaluna
Dexter “DEX STAR” Alaba
Kiel “Oheb” Soriano
Danerie James “Wise” Del Rosario
Edward “EDWARD” Dapadap
Mark Jayson "ESON" Gerardo