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MSC 2023 Draw: ECHO in Group A, Blacklist International in Group D

["https:\/\/radyonatin.com\/story.php\/47197","MSC 2023 Draw: ECHO in Group A, Blacklist International in Group D","RNNationwide"]
2023 MSC Official Logo (PHOTO CREDIT: MOONTON)
The two Filipino representatives in the upcoming 2023 Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Southeast Asia Cup (MSC) now know who they will face following the group draw on Friday afternoon, May 26.
ECHO was placed in Group A, alongside Turkey's Fire Flux Impunity and Laos' Team EVO, while Blacklist International found itself in Group D with Malaysia's Todak Esports and Egypt's Team Occupy.
The MLBB Professional League (MPL) Season 11 champion and runner-up will face an early test in the group stage, as strong and unknown challengers aiming to make a name for themselves are on their way.
Fire Flux Impunity, whose members previously played for Incendio Supremacy in the M4 World Championship, seeks to surprise the Mobile Legends scene once again.
In their M4 stint, the Turkish side fell short of pulling an upset against Blacklist in the group stage before losing to Myanmar's Falcons Esports in a grueling five-game encounter in the lower bracket.
Riding the wave of success, MPL PH S11 Finals Most Valuable Player experience (EXP) laner Sanford "Sanford" Vinuya will lead the Orcas, who has been dominant since winning the organization's first-ever M-series crown in January 2023.
M4 Finals MVP Frederic Benedict "Bennyqt" Gonzales (gold laner) and Karl "KarlTzy" Nepomuceno (jungler), the only Filipino to win two M-series titles, will support Vinuya, alongside Alston "Sanji" Pabico (mid laner), Tristan "Yawi" Cabrera (roamer), and Jian "Jian" Magtibay (gold laner). Their head coach and assistant coach are Harold Francis "Tictac" Reyes and Robert Alexis "Trebor" Sanchez, respectively.
Team EVO, on the other hand, will make its debut in the MSC landscape after earning the lone slot given to the Mekong region.
Meanwhile, reigning MPL Malaysia champion Todak poses the biggest challenge for Blacklist International. The Malaysian squad could potentially surprise the Codebreakers with their unorthodox hero pools, for which they are known.
Team Occupy, the MPL Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Spring 2023 winner, aims to create surprises led by Filipino coach Kevin "Ola" Olavere.
Blacklist International will feature the duo of Danerie James "Wise" Del Rosario (jungler) and Jonmar "OhMyV33NUS" Villaluna (roamer), Edward Jay "EDWARD" Dapadap (EXP laner), Kenneth Carl "Yue" Tadeo (mid laner), Lee Howard "Owl" Gonzales (gold laner), and Renejay "RENEJAY" Barcase (EXP laner). BLCK's coaching staff is composed of head coach Aniel "Master the Basics" Jiandani and assistant coach Dexter Louise "Dex Star" Alaba.
MSC 2023 will take place from June 10 to 18 at Aeon Mall Mean Chey in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Moreover, this year's competition will mark the first time MSC extends its borders to other teams worldwide.
Other Groups
MPL Indonesia Season 11 runner-up EVOS Legends, MPL Singapore Season 5 champion RSG Slate SG, and MSC Myanmar Qualifier winner Fenix Esports will compete in Group B.
Filipino import Gerald "Dlar" Trinchera could potentially return to the competitive Mobile Legends scene since MPL Season 9 after making it to the final roster of the MSC 2021 bronze medalist. However, this depends on the decision of Steven Andreas "Age" Gunawan and Stenley "TaxStump" Hermawan.
RSG Slate SG qualified for the tournament by defeating Team Flash in their best-of-seven grand final collision, as Fenix Esports beat Falcon Esports in the Mekong Qualifier upper bracket finals before defeating AI Esports in the finale, 4-2, to reach the main tourney.
The Singaporean and Burmese representatives will field all-native teams.
For Group C supremacy, the current Indonesian champion and MSC 2019 winner ONIC Esports will compete against MPL Cambodia (MPL KH) Spring qualifier Burn X Flash and North America Challenger Tournament (NACT) Spring 2023 titleholder Outplay.
Bannered by Kairi "Kairi" Rayosdelsol and coach Paul Denver "Yeb" Miranda, ONIC Indonesia aims for a playoffs berth against Outplay, which boasts Peter Bryce "Basically" Lozano, Rainiel Jhim "URESHIII" Logronio, and recently acquired head coach Steven Dale "Dale" Vitug.
Burn X Flash is spearheaded by one of Cambodia's Mobile Legends superstars, Mariusz "Donut" Tan.
How Will the Group Stage Work?
The MSC 2023 group stages are scheduled from June 10 to June 13.
It will follow a single round-robin format, with each match decided in a best-of-three. The top two finishers in each of the four groups will advance to the playoffs, while the last-place teams are eliminated.
Unlike last year, teams must win at all costs to remain alive in the playoff round. MSC has removed the lower bracket format, creating a battle royale-like atmosphere and introducing a more pressure-packed road to the championship.
A best-of-five duel between teams will determine the winners in every playoff match, except for the grand finale, which will be best-of-seven in nature.

Last Modified: 2023-May-28 09.46.44 UTC+0800