By John Carlo Ayende


PHOTO: Tiebreaker Times

Blacklist International’s power duo Johnmar “OhMyV33nus” Villaluna and Danerie James “Wise” Del Rosario seemed to be disappointed with the new MPL rule recently imposed that required teams to submit their starting lineups and active rosters during each tournament split. 

V33Wise reacted to the newest rule implemented by the league and neither of the two was thrilled about the change. 

Unlike other seasons, teams were allowed to shuffle their lineups during a match series depending on the team’s strategies and draft picks that will only be unveiled 20-30 minutes before the match.

Wise expressed that it would be easier now for teams to adjust their draft picks once the full lineups of their opponents are released before every match, removing the surprise factor among all the teams competing as compared to the previous seasons.

OhmyV33nus, on the other hand, recalled their past experiences on how difficult it was for them to predict the opponents’ lineup as teams were permitted to switch players during every series.

“Actually, even on M3 World Championship when we were facing RRQ, we never knew who will be playing there, will it be Skylar, or Sheen, to the point we made two drafts, we made a lot of drafts,” quipped OhmyV33nus.

“The Queen” added that MPL teams continue to experiment with their roster as they try to play mind games with their counterparts for every game. With Rule 5.3.1 in full effect, the “surprise factor” will completely vanish as teams can predict their opponents’ draft without breaking a sweat.  

“Personally, I think this is the first time it happened. For me, it’s weird,” said OhmyV33nus. 

Both Wise and OhMyV33nus decided to sit out the entire season and take a much-needed breather from the pro scene. The power tandem is expected to be back in MPL-PH Season 10. 


Edited by Jostle Pilayre