Blacklist Dota 2 team taps Fil-Am ninjaboogie for coaching role

MANILA, Philippines — After failing to secure their slot to the 2023 Lima Majors, Blacklist Rivalry is set to strengthen their roster by acquiring the expertise of Filipino-American player Michael “ninjaboogie” Ross Jr. as the team's coach, sources confirmed.

Blacklist Rivalry's debut in the Division I of the Dota2 Pro Circuit (DPC) in Southeast Asia saw the team without a coach. Though Tier One Entertainment CEO and co-founder Tryke Gutierrez said this was their plan.

"To be honest, akala ko di namin kailangan ng coach sa qualifiers and then we would get in and then we would get a coach. That was the ideal dream na meron kami,” he said.

“Pero, GeekFam’s draft really exposed our line-up and then we went into Game Three, literally one clash away. I’m not sure whether we had a coach or not, would have changed that clash, but I am sure that we’re never going into another majors without a coach," said Guiterrez, when asked about Blacklist Rivalry's performance during the launch of Blacklist's new Wild Rift Team, G2 Blacklist.

Ross Jr.'s release from Team SMG in May last year was met with controversy as the Filipino-American support player bared that he was let go by the team as his mom had suffered a stroke, just as he was about to fly out to attend the team's boot camp. 

When he asked if he could fly out at a later date to take care of his mother, Ross was told that the team would continue on without him.

Ross was part of the Mineski DAC squad in 2018 which saw a Philippine-based organization win an International LAN competition that was part of the Valve Dota Pro Circuit for the very first time, the Dota2 Asian Championship. 

Though the only Filipino player in the team, Ross' crucial plays helped his team secure a 3-2 victory against Chinese squad, LGD.