MPL ID Season 18 playoffs: Surabaya schedule, Malaysia times and two M8 tickets at stake

After Malaysia's league finishes today, attention in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang moves to Indonesia. The MPL ID Season 18 playoffs run from Wednesday, 4 November to Sunday, 8 November at Jatim Expo in Surabaya, East Java. Six teams will compete for the title and for Indonesia's two direct places at the M8 World Championship in Turkey. Team Liquid ID and NAVI start with byes. RRQ Hoshi, one of the league's best-known teams, did not qualify.

How the regular season ended

Team Liquid ID and NAVI both finished the regular season 12-4. Liquid topped the table on game difference, +15 to NAVI's +13, so both skip Round 1. The rest of the playoff places went to:

• 3rd: Alter Ego (10-6)
• 4th: Bigetron by Vitality (10-6)
• 5th: EVOS (8-8)
• 6th: ONIC (7-9)

Dewa United, RRQ Hoshi and Geek Fam are out. RRQ finished 4-12. Bigetron finished strongly, beating NAVI 2-0 on the last weekend, and ONIC took the last playoff place despite losing their final match 2-0 to Team Liquid ID.

Format

The six-team bracket uses a hybrid format. Seeds three to six play a single-elimination Round 1, so losing there ends a team's season. From Round 2 onwards the bracket is double elimination, so a team that loses in the upper bracket gets a second chance through the lower bracket. Most series are best-of-five. The lower bracket final and the grand final are best-of-seven.

Schedule in Malaysia time

Indonesia's Western time (WIB) is one hour behind Malaysia, so all times below are Malaysia time:

• Wed 4 Nov, 2pm: Alter Ego vs ONIC (Round 1)
• Wed 4 Nov, 7pm: Bigetron by Vitality vs EVOS (Round 1)
• Thu 5 Nov, 2pm: NAVI vs winner of Alter Ego/ONIC
• Thu 5 Nov, 7pm: Team Liquid ID vs winner of Bigetron/EVOS
• Fri 6 Nov, 2pm: Lower bracket semi-final
• Fri 6 Nov, 7pm: Upper bracket final
• Sat 7 Nov, 5pm: Lower bracket final
• Sun 8 Nov, 5pm: Grand final

Why it matters for Malaysian fans

Both MPL ID grand finalists go straight to M8, the same reward Malaysian teams had in MPL MY Season 18. Indonesian teams are often among the strongest at world championships, so this week will show which of them Malaysia's representatives might meet at M8 in Istanbul. Matches are broadcast on MPL Indonesia's official channels, and tickets for Jatim Expo are sold through MPL Indonesia.

Key takeaways

• MPL ID Season 18 playoffs run from 4 to 8 November at Jatim Expo, Surabaya.
• Team Liquid ID and NAVI, both 12-4, have byes to Round 2.
• Alter Ego, Bigetron by Vitality, EVOS and ONIC play single-elimination Round 1 matches on Wednesday.
• RRQ Hoshi missed the playoffs after a 4-12 regular season.
• Both grand finalists qualify for the M8 World Championship.

FAQ

When does the MPL ID Season 18 grand final start in Malaysia? The grand final is on Sunday, 8 November at 5pm Malaysia time (4pm WIB). It is best-of-seven.

Which teams are in the MPL ID Season 18 playoffs? Team Liquid ID, NAVI, Alter Ego, Bigetron by Vitality, EVOS and ONIC.

How many MPL ID teams go to M8? Two. Both teams in the Season 18 grand final qualify directly for the M8 World Championship.

Sources: Medcom.id, ItemGame