MPL PH Season 7 Preview: NXP Solid eyeing to prove doubters wrong


Lineup:

Renejay "RENEJAY" Barcarse

John Paul "H2wo" Salonga

Tristan "Yawi" Cabrera

Dexter "Exort" Martinez

James "Jeymz" Gloria

Lance "LanceCy" Cunanan

Coaches: Naser "Dogie" Mollazehi, AV "YoLo" Tiangco, Chester "Chester" Gonzales

Season 6 finish: 5th-8th place

Holdovers: RENEJAY, H2wo, Yawi

Departures: Chester, Bien "Mb" Esquillo, Jimnest "JIMNEST" Mendoza

Additions: Exort, Jeymz, LanceCy

Nexplay Solid was easily the most popular team when it entered the MPL Philippines in Season 6, thanks to one of its coaches in Naser "Dogie" Mollazehi who is a streaming sensation and an icon in the Mobile Legends community.

With its massive fanbase, NXP will surely remain as one of the crowd favorites come the Season 7, but the team is raring to bring more to the table than hype and prove its doubters wrong.

NXP secured the services of mage-support Dexter "Exort" Martinez, who was once tabbed as a rising star in the local pro scene but left unsigned in the previous season.

Exort joined the squad's core of side laner Renejay "RENEJAY" Barcarse, jungler John Paul "H2wo" Salonga and tank Tristan "Yawi" Cabrera.

NXP also promoted James "Jeymz" Gloria (side lane) and Lance "LanceCy" Cunanan (mage-support/sixth man) from its amateur squads, replacing Chester "Chester" Gonzales (now a coach), Bien "Mb" Esquillo and Jimnest "JIMNEST" Mendoza.

These changes might have been brought about by Bren Esports world champion coach Francis "Duckeyyy" Glindro's claim that NXP doesn't have its "own identity" when it comes to playstyle while adding that the players have already "reached their mechanic caps" save for RENEJAY and Yawi.

Whether it's true or not, Dogie and his boys are out to prove that they're not just crowd darlings but also title favorites in the upcoming season.

NXP will look to improve its 5th-8th place finish from Season 6, wherein it wound up dead last in its group with a 6-7 record before getting swept by Bren, 3-0, in the first round of the playoffs as what Duckeyyy boldly predicted.

This season, NXP is in Group B with Season 6 runner-up and M2 playoffs finisher Smart Omega, Execration, Blacklist International and qualifier Laus Playbook Esports.

NXP will kick off the new season with a clash against league newcomer LPE on Saturday, March 20, at 4 p.m.