Blacklist International kept its M5 World Championship grand finals dream alive after eliminating the Turkish team, Fire Flux Esports, in the lower bracket knockout stage with a 3-1 victory on 11th December 2023. In a grueling Best of 5 series, the two teams clashed with strategic prowess. The renowned Codebreakers’ iconic UBE (Ultimate Bonding Experience) Strategy was put to the test against the more polished Turkish Delight tactic by Fire Flux Esports.
Through a post-match press conference, Blacklist International’s coach Aniel “Master the Basics” Jiandani, also known as MTB, shared what makes the Turkish Team such a formidable squad. According to him, the mix of meta and unorthodox picks was what made Fire Flux Esports such a unique team in the M5 World Championship.
Unorthodox lineups from Fire Flux Esports are hard to counter, according to Coach MTB
Fire Flux Esports sweeping the legendary Blacklist International in the M5 World Championship group stage was one of the highest moments of the tournament. The team received praise for being able to keep up with Southeast Asian teams despite the experience gap.
However, in its second encounter during the M5 World Championship, Fire Flux Esports finally lost against the renowned Codebreakers, but not without putting up a good fight.
Blacklist International secured the first game of the series. However, the Turkish team was able to bounce back in the second game with a unique draft, locking in Leomord, Tigreal, and Ixia. Despite the initial success, this unorthodox strategy failed to keep its momentum going, and Fire Flux Esports lost the two succeeding rounds, sealing its fate in the Best of 5 series
According to Blacklist International coach MTB, what made Fire Flux unique compared to other teams was its unpredictable drafting style, thanks to its unorthodox picks.
“That’s one of the most unorthodox lineups that we’ve faced here in M5. It’s harder to face an opponent that has a different meta,” he explained.
While Fire Flux Esports officially ended its journey in the M5 World Championship, fans are looking forward to its return in the next world series.
Blacklist International, on the other hand, will have a three-day break to prepare for the upper bracket semifinal match on 15th December at 2:00 PM (PHT). Its opponent shall be decided on 12th December after the bout between Geek Fam and AP.Bren which will see the loser heading down to face the Codebreakers.
