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The leader of one of the biggest esports organizations in the Philippines is always keeping an eye on the next big step for Blacklist International.
In the world of Philippine esports, few can draw a crowd as easily as Blacklist International, and that’s thanks to Tryke Gutierrez and his vision.
As founder and creator of Blacklist and Tier One Entertainment, Tryke has always had the pulse on the esports scene. Blacklist had dominated MLBB for years, with their fans (known as Agents) coming out in droves to support them. That’s why it was so shocking when they announced that they were leaving MLBB to go on a new venture.
That venture was becoming one of the first partnered teams for the upcoming Honor of Kings league, the PKL. There’s been a lot of chatter about Blacklist’s jump to a competitor league, but for Tryke, their reasoning is simple.
“When we first entered HoK, the thinking was that we really liked the ecosystem that the game brought to esports,” said Tryke Gutierrez in an interview with the media. “Their support is just on another level, and it changes a lot of things.”
Despite the extra support, Tryke still sees how this is a big shift for everyone, especially for the fans, and the fact that there’s still a good number who support Blacklist is not lost to him.
“We’re super grateful. The Agents have been present for every game we’ve been in. We also understand those who left because they love the game more than the brand. We never said that we’re never coming back. It’s just that we’re repositioning right now. We’re picking the games that we’re confident with and if the market corrects, we’ll go in again in the right games. On that note, Blacklist would never have made it here without the Agents. Ibang level talaga yung support nila.”
Making a Top Tier Team
At the very least, Blacklist’s debut in the PKL was certainly one for the history books. The team finished the regular season with a 14-0 match record, exceeding everyone’s expectations. And considering that their core used to be Blacklist’s Wild Rift team, the speed at which they were able to adapt to a new game really highlights the potential of the group.
“The way we think about it in Blacklist is that we want to get a full team in any game we compete in kasi may natural chemistry diyan,” said Tryke Gutierrez.
“But when you test and fail in your first season, dun mo lang malalaman ano yung changes that you need. I think yung backend team ng Tier One, alam naman nila ano yung kulang ng team. Kung makuha namin yung championship, then it goes to show that alam namin yung formula, at least for MOBA esports.”
This interview was taken during the PKL playoffs, and unfortunately for Blacklist, they would fall in the grand finals against BOOM esports. It was a full seven-game barn burner, though. And in the end, it gave a lot of fans hope that the Philippines can really show up at the King’s World Cup taking place in the Esports World Cup at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“It’s not impossible, but it’s going to be tough,” said Tryke as he weighed in on the Philippines’ chances. “Similar to how in MLBB the Philippines is so ahead… feeling ko ahead talaga dito yung China. Of course, winning is still the goal kasi hindi ka magbubuo ng team just to finish second.”
A Responsibility to Elevate the Scene
Upon reflecting on Blacklist’s 2024 Esports World Cup run, Tryke feels that there’s more on the line than their reputation. “I personally feel we disappointed a lot of fans last year. We were one of the 30 esports organizations who qualified for the event, but we scored zero points, so it’s not something that we’re proud of.”
“As we focus on the games that we picked, like HoK, it’s more of a responsibility rather than a privilege,” added Tryke Gutierrez. “We really want to elevate the scene, get far, and hopefully win a championship. Our thinking is this: when we entered MLBB, we came in a little late. But here we’re coming in day zero, and it’s our responsibility to help carry this community. So yeah, I think it’s a lot of responsibility.”
Banner photo from Blacklist International.