Blacklist International surprised its rabid fanbase when it announced that the power duo of Johnmar “OhMyV33nus” Villaluna and Danerie James “Wise” del Rosario will skip Mobile Legends Professional League Philippines Season 12.
Blacklist, the only three-time MPL champion and M3 Mobile Legends world champion, will field a mix of fresh and familiar faces for the upcoming season minus the iconic real-life couple that led the team to many championships.
The organization said OhMyV33nus and Wise will be taking the time off to recharge and recover following grueling battles in the MPL, M4 and Mobile Legends Southeast Asia Cup.
“We know that the past couple of weeks have been filled with rumors and uncertainty regarding our legendary duo, VeeWise. Now that we’ve announced our official roster for MPL Season 12, we can now also confirm that VeeWise will not be participating in the upcoming season,” Blacklist said in a statement.
“After the consecutive seasons and tournament grind of MPL S10, M4, MPL S11, and MSC, they wanted to take some time away to recharge and recover.”
“Though this was not an easy decision for them to make, we believe this is what’s best for them as players and individuals. They have the full support of their Blacklist International and Tier One Entertainment family, both in-game and out.”
Still, Blacklist will have a lot of firepower in its arsenal as M3 Most Valuable Player Kiel Calvin “OHEB” Soriano makes his return to the main roster after joining the team’s MDL squad last season.
Also making his return to MPL is Salic “Hadji” Imam, who was previously tapped by Blacklist to be its captain in Season 9 when the VeeWise duo opted to take a season break. He will serve as team captain again for Season 12.
Completing the Blacklist lineup are Edward Jay “Edward” Dapadap, Kenneth Carl “Yue” Tadeo, Lee Howard “Owl” Gonzales, Renejay “Renejay” Barcarse, Stephen “Sensui” Castillo, Kim “Kimpoy” Dela Cruz, Russel “Eyon” Usi, Dexter “DEX STAR” Alaba and Justin “Calad” Limbo.
World champion coach Kristoffer Ed “BON CHAN” Ricaplaza, meanwhile, will also return as part of its coaching staff after taking a break last season.
“Please continue to cheer on the team as they compete in the upcoming season and we thank you for always being the best fans in the world,” Blacklist said.
