MPL MY S18: RRQ Tora come from behind to beat AC Esports as Team Vamos edge Invictus Gaming 2-1
RRQ Tora beat AC Esports 2-1 and Team Vamos beat Invictus Gaming 2-1 on Friday. Four teams are now sure of MPL MY playoff places, with two spots left.
RRQ Tora kept their MPL Malaysia Season 18 playoff hopes alive on Friday night. They lost the first game to AC Esports, then won the next two for a 2-1 victory at Quill City Mall in Kuala Lumpur. Earlier in the evening, Team Vamos beat Invictus Gaming 2-1. That result left four teams certain of a playoff place, with two spots still open. This follows yesterday's preview of the RRQ Tora vs AC Esports match.
Friday's results
Team Vamos took the first game against Invictus Gaming (iG) in the 5pm match. iG levelled the series, but Vamos won the decider and stayed third. In the 8.15pm match, AC Esports won the opening game against RRQ Tora. RRQ Tora won the next two games and AC Esports lost again.
These games followed two sweeps on Thursday. The league moved its Saturday matchday forward to Thursday 8 October for the MLBB 10th anniversary break. Team Rey beat Bigetron MY by VIT 2-0, and leaders Selangor Red Giants beat Team Flash 2-0.
The standings
Teams earn one point for each series win. The top six teams reach the playoffs.
| Pos | Team | W-L | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Selangor Red Giants | 10-2 | 22-6 |
| 2 | Team Rey | 9-3 | 19-9 |
| 3 | Team Vamos | 8-3 | 17-12 |
| 4 | Invictus Gaming | 6-5 | 14-13 |
| 5 | Bigetron MY by VIT | 5-7 | 14-17 |
| 6 | Team Flash | 4-7 | 11-14 |
| 7 | RRQ Tora | 3-9 | 11-20 |
| 8 | AC Esports | 1-10 | 4-21 |
What the numbers mean
SRG, Team Rey and Vamos have playoff places secured. iG are also safe on six wins. The only teams who can still reach seven wins are Bigetron and Team Flash, and they play each other on 17 October, so at most one of them can finish above iG.
That leaves two places for four teams. Bigetron are best placed, with five wins and two games left, against Flash and RRQ Tora. Flash have four wins and three games left, against Vamos, iG and Bigetron. RRQ Tora can reach no more than five wins. They have to beat Team Rey on Sunday and Bigetron on 18 October, and then need Flash or Bigetron to finish level with them or below them. AC Esports can reach no more than four wins. They would need to win all three remaining games while Flash and RRQ Tora both drop points, and then win a tiebreak.
The race for the top two matters too. The top two seeds get a bye to the second round of the playoffs. SRG lead Team Rey by one win, and both teams have two games left. Vamos have three games left.
Sunday's fixtures (Malaysia time)
- 2.30pm: Team Flash vs Team Vamos
- 5pm: Invictus Gaming vs AC Esports
- 8.15pm: Team Rey vs RRQ Tora
The regular season ends on 16-18 October. One of those games is SRG against Vamos on 16 October at 8.15pm. The playoffs move to Stadium Juara in Bukit Kiara from 28 October to 1 November. The champion and runner-up qualify for the M8 World Championship. Matches are streamed on the MPL Malaysia YouTube and Facebook channels.
Key takeaways
- RRQ Tora beat AC Esports 2-1 after losing the first game, and Team Vamos beat Invictus Gaming 2-1.
- SRG (10-2), Team Rey (9-3), Vamos (8-3) and iG (6-5) cannot now finish below sixth.
- Bigetron (5-7), Flash (4-7), RRQ Tora (3-9) and AC Esports (1-10) are fighting for the last two playoff places.
- RRQ Tora must beat Team Rey on Sunday to stay in the race.
- The top two in the playoffs qualify for the M8 World Championship.
FAQ
How many teams qualify for the MPL MY S18 playoffs? Six of the eight teams. The top two seeds start in the second round, and seeds three to six play a single-elimination first round.
When and where are the MPL MY S18 playoffs? From 28 October to 1 November at Stadium Juara, Bukit Kiara, in Kuala Lumpur.
Are RRQ Tora out of the MPL MY playoff race? No, but they need to beat Team Rey and Bigetron, and they need other results to go their way.
Sources: MPL Malaysia, Liquipedia