Blacklist International came close to greatness at the Honor of Kings Championship 2024, finishing sixth overall, exceeding expectations.
A household name in Philippine esports, the organization rose to fame when they won multiple MPL championships in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, including an M World Series title in M3. Now, they aim to bring their winning formula to Honor of Kings (HoK).
But after competing against the best teams from around the world, they realized that teams from the Philippines are still lacking key elements that could unlock their potential and help them dominate future tournaments.
Despite only being together for six short months, HoK Blacklist stormed through the group stage, finishing second in Group A, just behind Indonesian team Dominator Esports.
They even delivered an upset 3-2 win over Malaysian stalwarts and Honor of Kings Invitational Season 2 runner-ups, Team Secret, in the first round of the upper bracket.
Their momentum stalled after a crushing 3-0 loss against eventual grand finalist Dominator Esports in the upper bracket semifinals, followed by another devastating 3-0 sweep at the hands of Malaysian powerhouse Nova Esports in the lower bracket.
The message from Blacklist is clear—the Philippines has talent, but talent alone isn’t enough.
Blacklist International says PH teams need experience and game knowledge to compete at the highest level
The toughest lesson Blacklist International learned was the importance of tournament experience. Competing at a LAN tournament for the first time, they had to adjust to the pressure and intensity that comes with playing on stage.
“This was our first LAN tournament. It’s a whole new experience, and we were still adjusting,” said midlaner Aaron “Aaron” Bingay.
The team recognized that while they had the skills, teams like Black Shrew Esports and Nova had a critical edge—they’d been competing for years. That wealth of experience makes the difference when the stakes are high.
“We’ve only been playing HoK for six months. The top teams have years of experience. That’s a huge advantage,” admitted Coach Gerald “Tgee” Gelacio.
While Filipino players are skilled, game knowledge and strategy remain an area for growth. Jungler Justine “Juschie” Tan pointed out that experienced teams outplayed them with better tactics. “We showed everything we’ve learned so far, but the other teams just knew more. They’ve had years to master the game. We’re still catching up,” he said .
Blacklist stressed that playing smarter, not just harder, is crucial for PH teams. Filipino players need to study top-tier teams, scrimmage against tougher opponents, and improve their drafting and macro play to compete at the highest level.
Blacklist International hopes having more local tournaments will heighten competition
According to Coach Tgee, the Philippines needs a stronger local competitive scene to keep pace with the best teams. “Maybe if there were more tournaments in the Philippines, it would help us a lot. All the pro teams would improve,” he said.
He added that more tournaments will help players stay in peak condition and develop the mental toughness needed to handle high-stakes games.
Despite their limited experience, Blacklist International’s performance at the Honor of Kings Championship 2024 signals that the Philippines has the potential to rise to the top.
The team’s farm laner, Golden “Goldenk1te” Dajao, believes that hard work and continuous learning will be the key to future success. “I think we need to grind more. For the next tournaments, we have to gain more knowledge about the game,” Goldenk1te said.
With more experience, game sense, and a well-developed competitive scene, we could see the Philippines close the gap with regional powerhouse Malaysia in the coming year.
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