One team is looking to defend their crown, while the other seeks to redeem themselves.
Team SIBOL Philippines is back on the international stage as they head to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for IESF WEC 2024. The World Esports Championship is once again calling the best esports athletes from around the world to find out which country can reign supreme.
The Philippines’ national team is competing on two fronts this year. We have our Dota 2 team mostly composed of Execration, one of the strongest Dota 2 teams in the country. Then we have our MLBB team fully represented by the young upstarts, RRQ Kaito.
Dota 2 starts on November 16 while MLBB starts on November 12. Both tournaments will also run using the same format. The group stage will be played using the GSL format, where 16 teams will be divided into four groups of four.
All matches are a best-of-three and the top two of each group will move on to the playoffs. Then it’s a single elimination bracket where every team only has one chance to become the IESF WEC 2024 champion.
A Tale of Two Teams
For the SIBOL Dota 2 team, 2024 is their chance at redemption. Last year, the team failed two tiebreaker chances to move out of the group stage. It was a heartbreaking result for the squad and it’s a lesson that Bryle “cml” Alvizo and coach JL will carry with them into this tournament. As the two remaining members from the 2023 lineup, it’s up to them to use their experience to secure a better placement, or even a trophy, for the Philippines.
The SIBOL MLBB team, on the other hand, are coming in as the defending champions even though they’re not the same team that won last year. Falcons AP.Bren were the ones to win that glory for the Philippines but now it’s RRQ Kaito’s turn.
Despite being a developmental league team, RRQ has shown massive potential in the international tournaments they’ve participated in. This is also the same team that achieved the first-ever perfect season in MDL Philippine history, so we know they’ve got what it takes. Falcons AP.Bren’s coach Francis “Ducky” Glindro and Jungler Michael “KyleTzy” Sayson are also on board with the team to ensure that they’re playing their best against the competition.
Can the Philippines defend their MLBB throne? Will we be able to complete the Dota 2 redemption arc? We’ll find out this week over on the IESF WEC 2024’s official Twitch and YouTube channels.
Banner photo from SIBOL.