MANILA, Philippines – Blacklist International power duo Johnmar “OhMyV33nus” Villaluna and Danerie James “Wise” del Rosario have decided to take a break from the Mobile Legends Professional League (MPL) Philippines as they plan to skip Season 9.

Blacklist announced the surprise development on Sunday, January 9, saying the organization and the two star players mutually agreed on the hiatus.

“[T]he V33Wise tandem has nothing left to prove to our organization as they have exceeded all our expectations in their first year in Blacklist International,” the team wrote in a statement.

“Both the players and the management agreed that this is the perfect time to take their much-needed break that will better equip them for another run in Season 10 and a chance to defend our world championship title.”

Traded from Onic Philippines in exchange for Kairi “Kairi” Rayosdelsol, OhMyV33nus and Wise helped turn Blacklist into arguably the strongest team in the country as they ruled Seasons 7 and 8.

With OhMyV33nus and Wise serving as its backbone, Blacklist proved its mettle on the world stage by reigning in the recent Mobile Legends M3 World Championships, where the squad took home the grand prize of $300,000 (around P15 million).

Other achievements OhMyV33nus and Wise boast during their time with Blacklist include runner-up finishes in the Mobile Legends Southeast Asia Cup and Mobile Legends Professional League Invitational.

“The duo will remain under the management of Tier One Entertainment and they are excited to use this break to pursue personal goals and spend more quality time with their families,” Blacklist wrote.

Season 9 will kick off on February 18, with all eight teams from Season 8 – Blacklist, Onic, Bren Esports, Echo, Nexplay EVOS, TNC, RSG Philippines, and Omega Esports – returning. – Rappler.com