Echo to open title defense bid vs Blacklist as MPL PH S12 kicks off in September

Reigning champion Echo will begin its title retention bid with a finals rematch against a rejigged Blacklist International when the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) Philippines Season 12 opens curtains on September 8.

The Orcas, also the defending M-series world champions, will take on the Codebreakers in the opening salvo set at 1:30 p.m. at the Shooting Gallery Studios in Makati City while RSG Slate Philippines and Onic Philippines slug it out at 4 p.m.

Closing the Friday triple-header are TNC and AP Bren at 6:30 p.m.

Echo retained its successful core, which is led by team captain and veteran roamer Tristan "Yawi" Cabrera as well as M2 and M4 MVPs Karl Gabriel "KarlTzy" Nepomuceno and Benedict "Bennyqt" Gonzales. Exp laner Sanford "Sanford" Vinuya and mid laner Alston "Sanji" Pabico are also included in the roster as they look to complete back-to-back MPL titles.

Blacklist, meanwhile, will be without the powerhouse duo of Danerie James “Wise” Del Rosario and veteran roamer Johnmar “OhMyV33NUS” Villaluna, who decided to take a break for the season following a series of tournaments in and out of the country in the past months.

Echo and Blacklist will return to action right away on Saturday, September 9, as they battle it out against Onic and RSG, respectively, while rebranded Minana EVOS will make its debut against Smart Omega.

Omega will feature the returning MPL Philippines legend Carlito "Ribo" Ribo and Joshua "Ch4knu" Mangilog as they look to bounce back from their previous campaign.

Blacklist will wrap up its opening week run with a match against Omega on Sunday, September 10, alongside RSG-AP Bren and TNC-Minana EVOS encounters early in the day.

Compared to eight weeks in the previous seasons, this season's regular phase will run for only six weeks. According to publisher Moonton, the compressed schedule was implemented as they gave way to their third parties who hosted other ML:BB tournaments such as the Snapdragon Pro Series and the IESF.

The jam-packed calendar is also for the league to prepare for the hosting of the M5 world championship in the country in December.

"We're running the tournaments for eight weeks the past season but now, we're doing it for only six weeks. There's a conflict with our main tournaments, MPLs, with the other tournaments of our third party. We want to support them and give them as much resources as well," said Moonton marketing lead Harry Leonardo in a press conference on Friday.

"Second is also we cannot extend the MPL PH because we're hosting the M5 here in the Philippines and it also needs preparation for the winning team. They need more time to train."

—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA Integrated News