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The History Behind the MPL PH’s Champion's Arena

The History Behind the MPL PH’s Champion’s Arena

Seeing all those trophies lined up, it’s no wonder they’re calling it the Champion’s Arena.

The MPL PH S13 playoffs made quite the statement with their opening ceremony. After all, there’s no better way to say that the Philippines is the best MLBB region in the world by showing off our numerous championships all in one place. 

To get a better appreciation for these 12 championship titles, let’s take a walk down memory lane.

MLBB Southeast Asia Cup 2018

The tournament that started it all.

The MPL PH had just concluded its very first season and while many saw us as a strong region, most would put Indonesia or Malaysia ahead of us. Well, not only did we prove them wrong, but we proved them wrong twice over with an all-Pinoy grand finals. It was MPL PH champions Aether Main versus runners-up Digital Devils Pro and while Aether Main took home the MSC trophy, an all-Pinoy grand finals would give us a glimpse of what was to come. 

30th Southeast Asian Games

2019 was a big year for the Philippines. Not only were we the hosts of the SEA Games, but it was also the year esports became a medal event. We assembled the best-of-the-best to represent our country, one of which was Carlito Ribo Jr., who presented the Philippines’ first SEA Games esports gold medal in the MPL PH S13 playoffs opening ceremony. 

M2 World Championship
The History Behind the MPL PH’s Champion's Arena
Falcons AP.Bren’s coach Francis “Ducky” Glindro presents the Philippine’s M2 World Championship trophy. (Photo from MOONTON Games)

This was where the Philippine era truly started, with our first M series win. There were still doubts about where the region stood coming into the tournament but this win set all those aside. The start was shaky for Bren Esports but the fact that they could recover themselves and turn that into a championship win shows how much discipline the team had even back then.

MLBB Southeast Asia Cup 2021

After stumbling in MSC 2020, the Philippines would return with a vengeance in 2021. It was another all-Philippines grand finals with the then-relatively new MPL PH champions Blacklist International versus Execration. As the clear underdogs, Execration got the upset over Blacklist and won MSC 2021. 

M3 World Championship
The History Behind the MPL PH’s Champion's Arena
Blacklist International’s Jonmar “OhMyV33NUS” Villaluna presents the Philippine’s M3 World Championship trophy. (Photo from MOONTON Games)

Despite losing MSC, 2021 was really Blacklist’s year. They won both seasons of the MPL PH that year, clearly coming out as the best team in the Philippines. And to make sure the whole world knew it, they took the M3 World Championship after clearing out ONIC Philippines at the grand finals in a clean sweep.

MLBB Southeast Asia Cup 2022

Proving that the Philippines isn’t just a one or two-team region, RSG Philippines would take their own MSC trophy. This would be the highlight of the team’s year after also winning MPL PH S9. 

31st Southeast Asian Games
The History Behind the MPL PH’s Champion's Arena
Blacklist International’s Danerie “Wise” Del Rosario presents the Philippine’s second SEA Games esports gold medal. (Photo from MOONTON Games)

Further solidifying the dominance of the Philippines in MLBB, we got our second SEA Games esports gold medal. Instead of an all-star player lineup, this time we sent the best team to represent us which was clearly Blacklist. One of the standout players during that tournament was Danerie “Wise” Del Rosario, who presented our second gold medal during the MPL PH S13 playoffs opening ceremony. 

M4 World Championship
The History Behind the MPL PH’s Champion's Arena
Team Liquid ECHO’s coach Harold “Tictac” Reyes presents the Philippine’s M4 World Championship trophy. (Photo from MOONTON Games)

The hits just kept on coming as we took our third M series championship in a row thanks to ECHO. As a team that started from humble beginnings, seeing them excel on the world stage was truly inspiring for players and fans everywhere.

32nd Southeast Asian Games
The History Behind the MPL PH’s Champion's Arena
Team SIBOL representative Nowee “Ryota” Macasa presents the Philippine’s third SEA Games esports gold medal. (Photo from MOONTON Games)

Signaling the start of Bren Esports meteoric rise was their victory at the 32nd SEA Games.  Once again we sent the best team to represent us although some were skeptical about Bren Esports given their recent track record. Little did we know just how far they would go.

IESF World Esports Championship 2023

Next on the list for Bren Esports was one of the biggest international MLBB tournaments in Iasi, Romania. This win was impressive because of how Bren Esports was able to perform in this tournament despite their crammed year. 

ONE Esports MPL Invitational 2023

Making sure that our MLBB dominance is airtight, we got our first win in the ONE Esports MPL Invitational. This was the one major tournament that the Philippines hadn’t gotten a win yet and was a return to the international stage for RSG Philippines. 

M5 World Championship
The History Behind the MPL PH’s Champion's Arena
Falcons AP.Bren’s coach Ducky presents the Philippine’s M5 World Championship trophy. Coach Ducky is the one of the first to become a two-time M series champion. (Photo from MOONTON Games)

Capping off a year of success for the Philippines was our ultimate triumph at the M5 World Championship.

This was a truly legendary moment as this was the first time we got a repeat M series champion. It was also the Philippines’ first time mounting a world championship esports tournament, proving that we’re ready to host more events of this caliber.

Banner photo by MOONTON Games.


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