Cover-Credits:
BOOM Esports has officially been confirmed as the second Southeast Asia (SEA) team to be relegated into Division II for the upcoming Spring Tour after losing to Blacklist Rivalry in its final match of the tour. Having made headlines last season, BOOM Esports saw a major drop in performance following roster changes post TI11 (The International 2022).
Blacklist Rivalry on the other hand will need Fnatic to win its match against Talon Esports if the team wants to avoid tiebreakers and locking in their Major invitation.
Blacklist Rivalry vs BOOM Esports: Match recap and highlights
Recap
The series was important for both teams, as a win for Blacklist Rivalry will keep the team in contention for a Major slot as it had one more match remaining against Geek Slate next week.
As for BOOM Esports, a win for them will allow the Indonesian based organization to face Team SMG in a two way tiebreaker between an extended stay in Division I or relegation to Division II.
Game One
The early game went into the way of Blacklist Rivalry as Karl "Karl" Baldovino’s Queen of Pain and Timothy "TIMS" Randrup’s Hoodwink aggressively hunted down BOOM Esports’ heroes during the early stages of the game.
However, BOOM’s draft of Arc Warden, Tiny and Death Prophet allowed them to take objectives while also winning multiple favorable teamfights in the mid-game phase. Additionally, John "Natsumi-" Vargas’s Arc Warden was constantly pushing the lanes with his Tempest Double, increasing his net worth in game while also allowing him to join teamfights.
Despite Marc "Raven" Fausto’s Drow Ranger being adequately farmed, he and Blacklist Rivalry were unable to defend their base as BOOM Esports claimed Game One after 42 minutes.
Game Two
Having won Game One, BOOM Esports were looking to close out the series as they drafted a rather aggressive lineup by picking Slark and Tusk for Natsumi- and Erin "Yopaj" Ferrer. Blacklist Rivalry on the other hand, opted to rely on Raven’s infamous Terrorblade as well as Karl’s Ember Spirit.
This time however, Blacklist Rivalry left no stones unturned as they dominated the game from the get-go. Despite BOOM Esports’ attempt to delay the game, the Filipino squad of Blacklist Rivalry were leading in all aspects of the game.
Game Two ended after the 31st minute mark, with Blacklist Rivalry evening out the series to force a decisive Game Three.
Game Three
With the series now even, both teams were looking to play it safe. Blacklist Rivalry went all in for an all-rounded draft, consisting of Templar Assassin, Tiny and Tidehunter while BOOM Esports went for an aggressive draft, picking up the duo of Drow Ranger and Nature’s Prophet.
Boom Esports had the better early game, with Saieful "Fbz '' Ilham's Nature’s Prophet and Yopaj’s Primal Beast having a decent net worth advantage. However, as the game progressed Blacklist Rivalry were patiently waiting for an opportunity to turn things around.
Blacklist Rivalry’s moment came at the 36th minute mark, as they pushed into BOOM Esports’ base and picked off its core heroes who were unable to buy back into the fight. With the game all but over, BOOM Esports were forced to tap out after 39 minutes.
Highlights
Here are some of the highlights from the series.
Following the match, BOOM Esports are now relegated to Division II for the upcoming Spring Tour of the SEA DPC alongside rivals Fnatic, who also turned out to have an abysmal performance during the regional league with six consecutive losses.
As for Blacklist Rivalry, the team currently sits in second place however its Major slot is not yet confirmed as there could be a possibility of a three-way tiebreaker to determine the final two invites should Fnatic lose to Talon Esports later today.
