The Blacklist International captain discusses his transition to support from offlane
As a strategic move to elevate their performance prior to the commencement of Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) Tour 3, Blacklist International made a few alterations to their lineup. . They reassigned their captain, Carlo “Kuku” Palad, to the fifth position and welcomed the experienced regional veteran Damien “kpii” Chok to take on the offlane role. The ongoing DPC Southeast Asia (SEA) 2023 Tour 3: Division I has witnessed the team’s most formidable iteration thus far, prompting Kuku to reflect on his smooth transition to the fifth position following their successful win against Execration.
“Actually I am surprised that I am playing position five. I think it’s just – I need to do more, a lot right now because before I was just hitting creeps and it was actually fun, Now it’s like – I need to keep talking about the timings.”
With a cheerful smile, Kuku expressed his perspective on his role within the team, highlighting that he considers himself a versatile player, straddling the line between a position four and a position five. He further revealed that he has some surprises in store, hinting at additional strategies and items he plans to unveil during the games.
Kuku attributed Blacklist’s progression to their adherence to the well-established 4-protect-one methodology, leading them to secure two victories and suffer one defeat against Talon Esports, the reigning powerhouse in the region. The team has generally orchestrated their gameplay around the proficiency of carry player Marc “Raven” Fausto, while their other cores have primarily focused on assuming playmaker roles.
Despite experiencing a defeat at the hands of Talon Esports, Kuku revealed his keenness to face off against another regional heavyweight, Bleed Esports.
“I can say maybe Bleed because I think they look strong right now. I think they are top two or top three and we fought Talon already and lost so maybe giant, let’s see.”
Kuku stressed the importance of maintaining their performance level throughout the game and not surrendering early leads to pick up a series win against Bleed.
