Bon Chan Explains What Makes PH Amateur Teams Stronger Than MPL Teams

Blacklist International’s head coach Kristoffer "BON CHAN" Ricaplaza shared his thoughts on why Philippines (PH) amateur teams are dominating professional teams in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) esports scene. The coach believes this is due to the fact that most pro teams frequently revamp their rosters, as opposed to amateur teams who tend to stick to one lineup and polish their chemistry. He also highlighted how foreign teams usually rely heavily on the meta whereas PH teams, especially amateurs, are open to experimentation and think outside the box. According to BON CHAN, this mentality caught Blacklist International off guard during the recently concluded Sibol qualifiers.

What makes PH amateur MLBB teams so formidable?

The 14th International Esports Federation (IESF) World Esports (WE) Championship 2022 Sibol Qualifiers was a sight to behold for fans. Amateur teams stole the spotlight after defeating various pro teams like ECHO and Bren Esports.

Through a vlog post, the head coach explained what makes PH amateur MLBB teams strong. According to him, amateur teams focus more on polishing their team chemistry rather than scout for replacements.

“What’s good about amateur teams is that, they’ve been playing together for a long time already. They know their identity and they have chemistry unlike MPL (Mobile Legends Professional League) teams who make roster changes frequently. The tendency is, before they could pull off a good chemistry, they get separated,” explained BON CHAN.

To no one’s surprise, Blacklist International dominated the tournament and won the qualifiers event. However, fans did not anticipate the amateur squad of Maharlika Esports to keep up with the M3 World Champions’ dominant performance. The two grand finalists shall combine their rosters to form one team which will represent the Philippines region in the upcoming IESF WE Championship 2022 under the Sibol squad. BON CHAN, as the head coach, shall draft this lineup which shall be revealed soon.

The head coach added that the Sibol Qualifiers witnessed many amateur teams showing promise. Therefore, the PH region shall remain at the top of the MLBB esports scene even if the current PH pro teams may step down.

“In the near future, I know, they (amateur teams) shall play in the MPL and compete against Indo (Indonesian Teams), replacing us when we lose our prime,” said BON CHAN.

He added that “Yes, we are strong right now, but there will come a time when we’re no longer in our prime and someone else would be stronger.”

For now BON CHAN and Sibol are yet to reveal the lineup which will compete at the IESF WE Championship 2022. Fans will have to keep their eyes peeled for more updates in the future.