Raucous applause erupted on January 12th as RRQ Hoshi faced the defending champion, Blacklist International, in the upper bracket semi-finals of the fourth Mobile Legends: Bang Bang World Championship (M4) at Tennis Indoor Senayan, Jakarta. It was one of the most anticipated games in M4.
Playing in a stadium packed with 5,000 Indonesian supporters at the time, the majority of whom were ardent supporters of RRQ Hoshi, naturally it would put a certain pressure on anyone who faced them. And Blacklist was not an exception. We saw astonished expressions on their faces as they entered the stage, who were stunned to witness such a huge, noisy crowd.
Nonetheless, this appeared to be a motivation for Blacklist players. Despite RRQ Hoshi’s advantage, the reigning champions won the fifth and deciding game of their best-of-five series that night, thanks to their exceptional mental strength and tactical prowess.
And Blacklist staple gold laner, Kiel “Soriano” Oheb, quickly shared his thoughts with us at seeing so many enthusiastic Indonesian supporters for the first time.
“That (crowd) was crazy, I hope tomorrow will be just as crazy as today!” he quickly said after the upper bracket semi-final match against RRQ Hoshi.
Furthermore, Oheb mentioned that the moment against RRQ Hoshi had sparked his adrenaline on stage. He added that the loud yelling and drums from RRQ’s supporters had motivated him to put an end to their noise.
“They are the loudest home crowd in the tournament thus far. But that moment encouraged us because it was more fun to shut them up!” he said.
Oheb was not exaggerating. He couldn’t wipe the grin off of his face after defeating the crowd’s favorite team in front of their supporters. Screams of excitement were clearly heard near the end of the exit gate, as we waited for him outside.
Regardless of what he said there, Oheb recognized that RRQ Hoshi’s performance was one of the best in the M4 competition and applauded the supporters from Indonesia. Oheb was confident that RRQ Hoshi could make it back up from the lower bracket, though he was the one who defeated them.
And, like Oheb, the captain of the Blacklist, Johnmar “OHMYV33NUS” Villaluna, agreed that RRQ Hoshi could have made it harder for them, had they decided to go for a specific draft.
“I’m surprised they didn’t ban Estes. Perhaps that was the reason why they lost.” V33NUS stated in a follow-up to the media conference at the stadium. And it makes sense, given that Estes has been the captain’s signature hero, who has proven to be troublesome regardless of the meta.
Addressing the Indonesian fans, V33NUS remarked that he was astonished to see so many at the stadium during the upper bracket semi-final match. In addition, he did not anticipate a large number of admirers in Indonesia coming to watch him compete.
He probably had a good reason for that. After all, he was playing in front of Indonesian fans, the majority which hold unfavorable attitudes toward his LGBTQ+ view. And, in a place where such things are frowned upon, V33NUS was overjoyed to be welcomed by the local audience.
“I had no idea that I’d have so many fans here. I’m delighted to be welcomed!”
Blacklist International finally fell short of their quest of becoming the first team to win back-to-back M Series titles as their rival, Echo Philippines, stunned them in the M4 grand finals.
However, the Queen said that they had no time to mourn their loss. Blacklist International will try to defend their title at MPL Philippines Season 11, which will begin at the end of February.
Oheb and V33NUS well sold at M4
The love of Indonesian fans for these Blacklist players seems to extend beyond compliments during the games in the stadium. Not only were these two players heavily talked during the competition, but goods with their names also sold well in Jakarta.
When Ulti Asia visited the Blacklist booth and spoke with the general manager, David Aquino, we discovered that the jerseys with the names Oheb and OHMYV33NUS were among the best-selling items at that time.
Despite being the most expensive merchandise booth at the venue, the sales of Blacklist merchandise went strong. Eventually they had to close the shop a day before the grand finals since there was no merchandise left to sell.
