Philippine Kings League kicks off maiden season; Blacklist, Elevate, Rough World lead charge

Philippine Kings League kicks off maiden season; Blacklist, Elevate, Rough World lead charge

MANILA, Philippines – Honor of Kings officially launched its Philippine Kings League Spring 2025 season as eight teams clashed in the opening week for regional supremacy.

Five teams received direct invites, while three others earned their spots through the qualifiers, setting the stage for a competitive split.

Blacklist International, fresh from their semifinals finish at the HOK Invitational Season 3, topped the table after a dominant Week 1 performance.

The Codebreakers opened their campaign with a 2-0 sweep over ACT Esports Club before dispatching rivals BOOM Esports in another clean series. Clash laner Justine Ritchie “Juschie” Tan impressed with 26 kills, only three deaths, and 16 assists in four games.

Qualifier squad Elevate also made noise early, going 2-1 to finish the week in second. Despite opening with a loss to Rough World Era Kadiliman, the Red Rebellion bounced back with back-to-back sweeps over TNT Tropang Alab and Team Flash PH. Eleazar “Azar” Salle and Mark Clinton “Fate” Pelayo stepped up in both series to anchor Elevate’s rise.

RWKD needed three games to edge Elevate in their opener, with John Phillex “Daniii” Bulanadi and Ratchakit “Syndicate” Wanasiriporn leading the charge. The squad then followed it up with a sweep of Team Eureka, highlighted by Homer “Fleur” Matol’s solid performance.

ACT Esports Club, one of the league’s newest teams, also went 2-1 but only secured a point due to their sweep loss to Blacklist. They recovered with a 2-1 win over Team Flash PH and closed the week with a sweep over TNT Tropang Alab.

BOOM Esports and Team Flash PH finished Week 1 with -1 point, though BOOM still has one game in hand. Flash PH, meanwhile, completed their three-day campaign with a single win against Eureka.

TNT Tropang Alab and Team Eureka struggled in the opening week, as both squads went winless and ended up in -3 and -6 points, respectively.

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Drew started writing esports news and features in 2019, and is well-immersed in various MOBA titles. He is also an avid Football Manager enthusiast.

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