MPL PH Season 8 Week 1 Recap: Blacklist International and ONIC PH Dominates

The Mobile Legends Professional League (MPL) Philippines (PH) Season 8 Week 1 has concluded. Despite being the first week of the tournament, fans have witnessed the hype as the new contenders try to take down the veteran teams of the MPL PH. Bren Esports and Nexplay EVOS had a rough start in the first week with zero wins. Blacklist International and ONIC PH are leading the charge with flawless win streaks. The new contenders TNC Pro Team, RSG PH, and ECHO are all sitting comfortably in the middle of the current rankings. Here is a quick recap of the matches during the MPL PH Season 8 Week 1.

MPL PH Season 8 - Week 1 Day 1

ONIC PH vs ECHO (2-0)

ONIC PH showed the new contender, ECHO how the veterans play by securing a clean sweep victory. ECHO had the kill advantage but ONIC PH’s rotations and objective securing tactics prevented the new team from contesting objectives and pressuring the map. The match ended with ONIC PH winning without a single loss in their opening week of the MPL PH Season 8.

TNC Pro Team vs Blacklist International (0-2)

The defending champions had a hard time dealing with TNC Pro Team in the early matches. TNC succeeded in securing objectives, giving them a huge advantage. This forced Blacklist International to change its approach and focused on scaling for the late game. The team eventually dominated the late game for both matches, which hindered TNC from securing a single win. The match ended with Blacklist International scoring a clean sweep victory against TNC Pro Team.

MPL PH Season 8 - Week 1 Day 2

Omega Esports vs ONIC PH (1-2)

Omega Esports had to compete without one of their main players, Duane “Kelra” Pillas, due to the penalty imposed by the league for violating the rulebook. This had likely weakened their lineup, allowing ONIC PH to take advantage of it and win the first match.

Omega Esports managed to win in the second match but ONIC PH took no chances and continued to pressure its opponent in the next game, preventing Omega from securing objectives and making progress. The match ended with ONIC PH securing two wins and one loss against Omega Esports.

ECHO vs Bren Esports (2-0)

The world champions had a tough opening in the MPL PH Season 8 after bowing down to the new contender ECHO. Bren Esports did an excellent job in holding their ground but ECHO’s relentless assaults and map pressure proved too much for the world champions to handle. The match ended with ECHO surprisingly securing a clean sweep victory against Bren Esports.

Nexplay EVOS vs Blacklist International (1-2)

The defending champions immediately made their presence known in the first match. Nexplay’s rookie member Jhonwin “Hesa” Vergara led the charge with his Benedetta but couldn’t find the right momentum to secure a win for his team.

A surprising turn of events happened in the second match. A crucial teamfight occurred at the 14-minute mark that cost Blacklist International to lose four of its members and gave Nexplay the opportunity to make a comeback and secure a win. However, Blacklist International did not take any chances and took down Nexplay in the third match.

MPL PH Season 8 - Week 1 Day 3

Bren Esports vs RSG PH (1-2)

The world champions, Bren Esports, had another upset in their first week of the MPL PH Season 8. This time, it’s against another contender, RSG PH. Bren kept making misplays which RSG was quick to punish, allowing them to get ahead of the world champions and prevent them from progressing in the match.

Bren Esports managed to win the second match, thanks to Allan "Lusty" Castromayor’s impressive engagements with his Khufra. However, a massive upset happened in the third match when Bren Esports failed to take down a single turret on RSG PH’s side. The match ended with RSH PH securing two wins and one loss against Bren Esports.

Nexplay EVOS vs TNC Pro Team (0-2)

TNC Pro Team got their first win of the MPL PH Season 8 against Nexplay EVOS. Nexplay EVOS had pretty solid drafting but couldn’t properly execute it, allowing TNC to punish them hard. A taunt challenge emerged between Frediemar "3MarTzy" Serafico and James "Jeymz" Gloria to see who grabs the bait. Unfortunately for Nexplay, they weren’t able to maximize their potential for both matches which resulted in TNC Pro Team securing a clean sweep victory.

Omega Esports vs ECHO (0-2)

Echo managed to take down the former Execration squad in the first match. Frederic "Bennyqt" Gonzales led ECHO with each high-risked teamfight. Omega Esports wasn’t able to maximize Robert “Hito” Candoy’s Natan due to the constant pressure that Bennyqt has been throwing at them.

In the second game, Omega Esports almost managed to pull off a massive comeback. However, ECHO’s constant map pressure prevented them from getting the golden opportunity to win teamfights. The match ended with ECHO securing a clean sweep victory against Omega Esports.

Check out AFK Gaming's event hub for MPL PH Season 8 to stay up to date on live scores, schedules, rosters, results, and more.