Blacklist International kicks off MSC bid with sweep of Team Occupy

Blacklist International kicked off its Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Southeast Asia Cup (MSC) 2023 campaign in style, sweeping Team Occupy of Egypt, 2-0, on Monday in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The former world champion is now assured of a playoff spot with a 1-0 win-loss card in Group D as Team Occupy is now eliminated with a winless 0-2 card.

Malaysia champion TODAK, the other Group D team, has also clinched the playoff berth ahead of its clash with Blacklist.

Blacklist bucked a slow start in Game 1 as after being down 5-1 in kill count, the Codebreakers immediately tied it at 5-all led by a double kill from Lee Howard "Owl" Gonzales (Beatrix) as they regained control of the match.

Despite a technical pause in the 13:20 mark, Blacklist remained composed as they shut down the entirety of Team Occupy before a minion wave helped the Filipino bets take down the base.

Roamer Johnmar "OhMyV33nus" Villaluna then took over early for Blacklist with his comfort pick Diggie, which Team Occupy banned in the opening game but left open in Game 2.

OhMyV33nus had the first blood on Alpho's Esmeralda before Danerie James "Wise" Del Rosario (Fredrinn) secured the lord as they destroyed the base in 18 minutes.

Blacklist and TODAK will slug it out on Tuesday in bid to take the top seed in their group.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News