Team Philippines survives Indonesia to reach HOK Nation Clash finals

KUALA LUMPUR—Team Philippines, bannered by Blacklist International and WeTrnd, moved closer to an elusive international title after beating Team Indonesia, 4-2, in the Honor of Kings Nation Clash semifinals on Saturday in Malaysia.

This marks a historic milestone for the Philippines, which has reached the finals of an international Honor of Kings tournament for the first time. But standing on its path to glory is host Malaysia, with both teams set to battle for the championship on Sunday.

"Sobrang hungry namin because in the last KWC last place kami. Ito talaga, tinignan namin as stepping stones kasi gustong-gusto talaga namin bumawi this time around kasi dala namin 'yung Philippines," Blacklist International head coach Gerald "Tgee" Gelacio said.

"I think mas naging better 'yung team compared last year and mga past tournaments."

For this tournament, HOK is implementing a unique tournament format featuring the three nations of the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Each participating country is represented by two teams—the most recent champions from their respective Honor of Kings Fall leagues and the fan-voted squad that earned the most in-game votes. The six participating teams will be split into two groups where Group A is composed of the league champions and Group B is made up of the fan-favorite teams.

The tricky part lies in the global pick-and-ban rule, which means that once a hero is selected, it can no longer be used by the same side for the rest of the match.

In the knockout phase, a country’s two teams connive in a best-of-seven relay, with each team playing at least two games but no more than two in a row.

Despite the new format and being rivals, Blacklist International and WeTrnd showed trust and teamwork in pulling off the victory over Indonesia to deliver the Philippines' first finals appearance. 

"Para sa akin sobrang saya na umabot kami sa grand finals kasi parang ito 'yung hinahanap namin sa mga past tournaments kasi lagi kaming nagcho-choke or nasho-short," Blacklist roamer Charles "Chazz" Esguerra added.

"Feel ko kayang-kaya naming manalo this time kasi feel ko 'yung momentum nasa amin."

Team Philippines will face Malaysian powerhouse teams HomeBois Black Shrew Esport and Alpha Gaming on Sunday.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News