RSG PH emerged as champion anew after ruling the grand finals of Mobile Legends Professional League Invitational 2023 last Sunday at GBK Basketball Hall in Jakarta.
After losing to MPL Philippines Season 12 champion AP Bren in the upper bracket semifinal via a 2-0 sweep, RSG PH mounted a comeback in the lower bracket by beating See You Soon, Homebois, and AP Bren in the lower bracket final rematch to book a grand final series with M4 world champion ECHO.
Jonard “Demonkite” Caranto, who joined RSG Malaysia and was off the RSG PH roster in MPL PH Seasons 11 and 12, took the lead in an impressive 3-1 win in the finals to capture the championship. His heroics throughout the Playoffs also got him an Most Valuable Player citation and received a $1,000 bonus.
The victory earned RSH PH a cash prize of $37,000, or roughly P2 million, while MPL Phl Season 12 champion ECHO did not go home empty-handed as it pocketed $19,000 while AP Bren got $11,000.
Three-time MPL PH champion and M3 Mobile Legends world champion Blacklist International, meanwhile, ended with a Top 5 to 6 finish after bowing down to HomeBois by 1-2 in the lower bracket quarterfinal.
The Mobile Legends Professional League Invitational is the last major international tournament before the highly-awaited M5 Mobile Legends World Championship, which is set from 2 to 17 December in the Philippines.
Touted as the grandest stage of professional Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, the M5 World Championship brandishes the largest prize pool yet in MLBB competitive history with $900,000. The Philippines will be represented by MPL Season 12 champion AP Bren and runner-up Blacklist.
