Blacklist falls to Alpha Gaming, places 4th in KIC 2025

December 2 ------ BLACKLIST International fell to Malaysia’s Alpha Gaming, 1-4, in the lower bracket semifinals, bowing out of the Honor of Kings International Championship 2025 at Ayala Malls Manila Bay.

Even though Blacklist International’s KIC 2025 run ended in heartbreak, the team fought until the final moment and proved how far the Philippines has risen on the global Honor of Kings stage. Here’s a recap of Blacklist’s last two matches in KIC 2025.

Blacklist International eliminated Italy’s Twisted Minds with a 4-2 in the lower bracket quarterfinals match last Friday night. In Game 1, Blacklist International claimed the opening victory after Golden “Goldenk1te” Dajao on Arli picked up a crucial double kill, setting up a full ace against Twisted Minds during the 10-minute Tyrant contest. Chammy “Chammy1” Nazarrea on Guan Yu stood out with fearless teamfight dives, earning MVP honors with a 1-0-7 KDA.

Game 2 saw both teams refusing to back down, but it was Twisted Minds who emerged victorious in a grueling 19-minute match. The game remained low-scoring as both sides played cautiously, until Martin “Hailang” Raza on Mai Shiranui secured a double kill during a 14-minute top-lane skirmish.

Blacklist still held strong and claimed the Overlord at 18 minutes, but Qi “Ctboy” Changpeng’s perfectly timed Lapu-Lapu crowd control allowed Twisted Minds to push straight in. With only Chammy1 left defending the crystal, Twisted Minds surged forward and tied the series at 1-1. Ctboy delivered a flawless 1-0-10 KDA to power his team.

Blacklist returned to dominance in Game 3, controlling the map and resources while avoiding deaths until the 6-minute top-lane fight. The team wasted no time storming the base and destroying Twisted Minds’ crystal in just 11 minutes, with Charles “Chazz” Esguerra on Liang contributing a perfect 1-0-11 KDA.

Blacklist bounced back decisively in Game 5, ending the match in only 10 minutes and 56 seconds while maintaining a perfect 5-0 deathless score. Juschie’s dominant Augran performance, highlighted by a 4-0-2 KDA, pushed Blacklist to match point at 3-2.

Game 6 turned into a thrilling 20-minute battle as Twisted Minds fought desperately to stay alive in KIC 2025. But Goldenk1te, playing Marco Polo, stole the spotlight with a perfectly executed Fevered Barrage triple kill. Chammy1 once again earned MVP honors on Mayene with a 2-0-5 KDA. Momentum shifted in Game 4, as Twisted Minds tied the series at 2-2. The turning point came when Giovanni “Shanks” Song capitalized on Justine “Juschie” Tan’s misposition on Lam in the top lane, securing a double kill and completing an ace against a scattered Blacklist squad.

Alpha Gaming ended the Philippines’ KIC 2025 title hopes after eliminating Blacklist International with a dominant 4-1 win in the lower bracket semifinals. Across the first three games, Malaysia’s representatives overwhelmed Blacklist International with precise rotations, smart risk-taking, and masterful command of the map and resources. With Alpha Gaming controlling the series at 3-0 match point, Blacklist International delivered a strong Game 4 fight to prevent a sweep.

Blacklist bounced back with improved tactical precision, surging to an 11,000 gold lead and closed out the 11-minute game against Alpha Gaming without conceding any deaths. Goldenk1te, playing as Di Renjie, punctuated Game 4 in style with a double kill score during the last crystal siege. Chazz on Lapu-Lapu became Blacklist’s saving grace after delivering a 0-0-8 KDA performance.

Despite Blacklist’s valiant stand, it was Alpha Gaming that ultimately won the series after pulling a lopsided 15-2 kill score in Game 5. With no Filipino teams left in the tournament, Blacklist still secured a 4th-place finish and will take home $80,000 from the massive $1M prize pool.

Source: spin.ph