While other teams were busy reshuffling their rosters with rookies during the off-season, some squads their cores intact ahead of the MPL Season 9 action.

These are the teams that either performed well or exceeded expectations in the last season. For them, minor adjustments could serve as the key to take the MPL PH S9 crown.

Kingslayers are back for S9

Departures: Iy4knu (S9 break)

Additions: Light, Kousei

Spearheaded by MPL PH S8 Best Rookie Jhonard “Demonkite” Caranto, not a few thought that RSG Philippines would actually secure a spot in the playoffs in its first season in the league.

Earning the label as the league’s Kingslayers, RSG showed that it can compete against the best after taking down the likes of Onic Philippines, Omega Esports and Bren Esports in the regular season.

With solid additions in Dylan “Light” Catipon and Clarense “Kousei” Camillo, RSG only got better in its second season in the league. The squad even performed well in the off-season highlighted by an impressive upper bracket run in the Sibol qualifiers where it took down Omega and Onic along the way.

Christian “Iy4knu” Manaog, who is taking a break in S9, was the lone casualty to their intact team that featured a perfect blend of youth in Demonkite and Nathanael “Nathzz” Crisologo and experience in the likes of EJ “Heath” Esperanza and Kenneth “Kenji Villa.

If everything falls into place, RSG could have the legitimate chance of slaying the kings in S9.

Can Omega finally get over the hump?

Departures: Hito, Drian

Additions: Amethyst, Outplayed

Omega Esports has been up there with the league's top predators but it just couldn’t find that one last push to finally win it all.

With an intact core that featured the same crew that won the last year’s MLBB Southeast Asia Cup for Execration, the squad is looking to finally get over the hump and give Billy “Z4pnu” Alfonso his first ever MPL trophy in S9.

The key pick-ups from the amateur scene, Jhonville “OUTPLAYED” Villar and Jefferson “Amethyst” Santos and the rumored return of Kielvj “Kielvj” Hernandez to the main five could be the missing piece to solve the puzzle.

However, it will be easier said than done especially if the hump that the squad has been trying to get over with was the same team that eliminated them twice, in the past two seasons – their rival, Blacklist International.

Will it finally be Onic’s time in S9

Departure: None

Additions: Bluffzy (asst. coach), Trebor (asst. coach)

It’s hard to tweak a lineup that has dominated the world stage the way Onic Philippines did in the M3 World Championship. Outside the Grand Finals lost to Blacklist, Onic utterly destroyed any opponents it faced in M3, even contenders at that.

Onic is bannering the same formidable lineup it had in S8 and M3 and yet the team continue to find ways to improve for the upcoming season. The addition of coaching minds of Trebor and Bluffzy to the already brilliant Coach Denver “Yebmaester” Miranda would certainly give a new flavor to the squad’s patented Banana Split strategy.

After a solid showing in M3, Kairi “Kairi” Rayosdelsol is surely oozing with confidence heading into S9. It would also be interesting to see how the rest of the league will react to the midlane duo of Allen “Baloyskie” Baloy and Jaylord “Hatred” Gonzales.

After two heartbreaking runner-up finishes last year, will it be finally Onic’s time this season?

The three-peat and the new shade of BLCK

Departures: Wise (S9 break), OhmyV33nus (S9 break)

Additions: Kevier, Master the Basics (asst. coach)

After a dominant run last year which resulted to the M3 World Championship and the MPL S7 and S8 titles, it’s hard to imagine that Blacklist International will be paying without its core players in Jonmar “OhmyV33nus” Villaluna and Danerie “Wise” Del Rosario this season.

The void left by the absence of V33wise may be a huge hole to fill in but the two-time MPL champions have shown that they are up for the task and have prepared tricks up on its sleeves for its three-peat bid.

All eyes will be on its new jungler Kent “Kevier” Lopez who is expected to give Blacklist a new dimension with his Assassin picks. Also joining the defending champions is popular content creator Aniel “MASTER THE BASICS” Jiandani as an assistant coach.

Blacklist remained a contender with the MVP trio of Kiel “Oheb” Soriano, Edward “EDWARD” Dapadap, and newly minted captain Salic “Hadji” Imam still in the fold. Veteran player Jayson “Eson” Gerardo is also reprising his main five role as he looks to provide the leadership in OhmyV33nus’ absence

Blacklist may be an entirely different team right now but they still have the target on their mind. Coach Kristoffer “Bon Chan” Ricaplaza and his wards will have to dig deep to defend the crown against the rest of the league.