In the midst of the ongoing Mobile Legends: Bang Bang fervor, the ‘10 Greatest Players’ voting event has sparked a heated debate within the MLBB community in Philippines. Particularly, ardent Blacklist International fans find themselves in a state of perplexity as both Johnmar “OhMyV33NUS” Villaluna and Danerie “Wise” Rosario, the icons that led the Agents at the M3 World Championship and MPL Philippines, have been excluded due to their association with a betting sponsor.
Moonton, prior to announcing the nominees for the ’10 Greatest Players,’ had laid down specific criteria, with the fifth point emphasizing that players should ‘refrain from any involvement in illicit activities, including promotion or solicitation.’ And on October 4, it was revealed that the VeeWise duo was left out of the list due to their partnership with a sportsbook platform named Rivalry.
Confirming reports in a TikTok video on Monday afternoon, Blacklist International co-owner Tryke Guttierez disclosed that Moonton had deliberately omitted the star duo from the ’10 Greatest Players’ roster owing to their involvement in certain promotional activities, primarily their sponsorship deal with Rivalry.
“For the greatest players in particular, they actually gave us a heads up that they will not really involve VeeWise because of the promotional activities that they are doing,” he stated.
This decision, however, stirred a hornet’s nest, as another professional MLBB player from Myanmar named Nainglin “Ace” Swe made it onto the list despite his ties to similar platform, 1xBet. In response, VeeWise questioned the inclusion of Ace in the list.
Taking the matter to social media in their latest ‘The Trio’ episode, the VeeWise duo raised their concerns about Moonton’s selection process for the nominees. Although the duo did not deny their affiliation with Rivalry as their official sponsor, they voiced their disappointment with Moonton’s stance on betting sponsorship within the community.
“What we see on social media, how Rivalry handles their endorsers, their influencers and the image of Rivalry, I really say this is part of what Wise and I want to do. This is what we want to promote,” V33NUS stated. “But why is Ace included? He is in 1xBet. What we really want is fairness.”
The duo further elucidated that their decision to join forces with Rivalry stemmed from their desire to secure their future. They emphasized that the professional career of every player eventually winds down, and it becomes imperative for them to safeguard their own well-being as they make way for the younger generation.
At the time of this writing, Moonton is yet to issue an official statement addressing these developments. Considering the stringent enforcement of the ‘no betting sponsors’ policy in Indonesia, it is highly likely that they will clarify their stance for the Philippines scene as well.
