ECHO will try to repeat as the best Filipino MLBB team. Photo from MPL Philippines. |
by Drew Malihan
MANILA - New stories to be told and new history to be unfold as the matchups for the MPL Philippines Season 12 playoffs are confirmed Tuesday.
The five-day playoff will determine the top four teams that will head to Jakarta for the ONE Esports MPL Invitational, while the playoffs finalists will secure their seats in the upcoming M5 World Championships to be held in the Philippines.
MSC 2023 Finalists and third-seeded Blacklist International will saw action for the third time against fifth-seed ONIC Philippines to start the festivities for a last shot in the upper bracket semifinals ticket.
The Agents and the Sonics were tied in their head-to-head matchup last regular season, with ONIC Philippines winning in Week 2 and Blacklist securing the win in Week 5.
Fourth-seeded RSG Philippines will then figure in a clash with sixth-seeded Smart Omega, as both teams touted as the season's dark horses will battle it out in a win-or-go-home series.
Both teams have won against the other in the regular season, with the Raiders securing a 2-0 sweep in Week 3 and the Barangay taking a 2-1 win in Week 6.
The winner of the Blacklist-ONIC affair will secure an MPLI seat and will face defending champions and top-seeded ECHO in the upper bracket semifinals, while the winner of the RSG-Omega tie will also secure an MPLI slot and will face number two seed AP.Bren in another upper bracket semifinals matchup.
All matches from October 25 to 28 will be best-of-five, while the Grand Finals will be a best-of-seven series on October 29, with all matches to be held inside the EVM Convention Center, Quezon City.
Follow him on X: @drew_corner