Blacklist Rivalry has recently announced the departure of two key players and an assistant coach from their Dota 2 roster. The Filipino organization revealed that they will not be extending the contracts of Karl Matthew “Karl” Baldovino, Damien “kpii” Chok, and Kenny “Xepher” Deo beyond this month.
In a social media post, Blacklist expressed their gratitude and bid farewell to their beloved members, Karl “Karl” Baldovino, Damien “kpii” Chok, and Kenny “Xepher” Deo, as their contracts have come to an end and will not be renewed.
The year 2023 has been quite a tumultuous journey for this emerging Filipino sensation, who formed their Dota 2 squad around October. The initial lineup, consisting of Marc “Raven” Fausto, Timothy “Tims” Randrup, Nico “eyyou” Barcelon, Carlo “Kuku” Palad, and Karl, garnered considerable attention as the new ‘Filipino Pride’ and was expected to make waves in Southeast Asia’s competitive scene.
However, their Dota 2 Pro Circuit 2023 campaign was far from flawless, with disappointing finishes outside the top three in Tour 1 and 2, ultimately failing to secure a spot in the Majors in Lima and Berlin. They then made a roster change by releasing eyyou and signing kpii in an attempt to qualify for the third Major. Although this gamble paid off, the team struggled in Bali and couldn’t progress to the playoffs.
Dissatisfied with their performance, they parted ways with Michael “ninjaboogie” Ross and brought in Adam “343” Shah and Xepher as their new coaching team in August, hoping to secure their last chance to qualify for The International 12 through the SEA Regional Qualifier.
While they did show some improvement and reached the grand finals, they were ultimately defeated by the formidable Team SMG, which featured a European veteran in its lineup, dashing their hopes of participating in TI12. Once again, they fell short of their own expectations and failed to live up to the hype, despite having several veterans on their team.
With the departure of these players and the uncertainty surrounding the future of the Dota 2 pro scene following the closure of the DPC, it remains uncertain whether Kuku, Raven, Tims, and 343 will stay together as a team in the future.
