NAVI beat Team Liquid ID to top MPL ID S18 as Alter Ego clinch playoffs; RRQ Hoshi and ONIC under pressure
NAVI's 2-0 win over Team Liquid ID put them top of MPL Indonesia, and Alter Ego secured a playoff place. Former champions RRQ Hoshi and ONIC are now fighting to reach the top six.
Natus Vincere are top of MPL Indonesia Season 18 after a 2-0 win over Team Liquid ID on Thursday, 8 October, in the big match of Week 8. Alter Ego beat Bigetron by Vitality to become the third team to secure a playoff place. Indonesia's best-known teams, RRQ Hoshi and ONIC, are now short of time in the race for the top six, and both play again on Friday.
Thursday's results
Week 8 started with three best-of-three series:
- EVOS 2-1 Dewa United Esports. Alberttt was named MVP.
- Alter Ego 2-0 Bigetron by Vitality. Hijumee was named MVP.
- NAVI 2-0 Team Liquid ID. Coolfire was named MVP.
Before Thursday, Team Liquid ID led NAVI by one series win. NAVI's sweep moved them level on ten wins, and they now have the better game difference with a series in hand. NAVI and Team Liquid ID had already secured playoff places in Week 7. Alter Ego's win put them through as well, which leaves three of the six places to be decided.
The standings
The top six of nine teams reach the playoffs. Teams are ranked first by series won and then by game difference.
| Pos | Team | Series W-L | Game diff | Left |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NAVI | 10-3 | +12 | 3 |
| 2 | Team Liquid ID | 10-4 | +11 | 2 |
| 3 | Alter Ego | 9-5 | +9 | 2 |
| 4 | Bigetron by Vitality | 7-6 | -2 | 3 |
| 5 | EVOS | 6-6 | -1 | 4 |
| 6 | ONIC | 5-7 | -1 | 4 |
| 7 | Dewa United Esports | 5-8 | -6 | 3 |
| 8 | RRQ Hoshi | 3-9 | -10 | 4 |
| 9 | Geek Fam ID | 3-10 | -12 | 3 |
RRQ Hoshi and ONIC in a tight spot
ONIC are sixth, but they are only level on series wins with Dewa United and have a better game difference. Their last four series are against EVOS, RRQ Hoshi, Dewa United and Team Liquid ID.
RRQ Hoshi are eighth with three series wins. Even if they win all four remaining series, they can only reach seven wins. Their run-in is also difficult: Team Liquid ID on Friday, ONIC on Sunday, then NAVI and Geek Fam next week. Sunday's match between RRQ Hoshi and ONIC could decide a lot for both teams.
Geek Fam ID are bottom. With three series left, they can reach six wins at most.
Friday and Sunday fixtures (Malaysia time)
Indonesia's western time zone is one hour behind Malaysia. In Malaysia time, today's matches are:
- 3pm: EVOS vs ONIC
- 6pm: RRQ Hoshi vs Team Liquid ID
- 9pm: Dewa United Esports vs NAVI
There are no matches on Saturday, 10 October, because of the Mobile Legends 10th anniversary festival in Surabaya. The week ends on Sunday, 11 October, with EVOS vs Geek Fam ID at 3pm, RRQ Hoshi vs ONIC at 6pm, and Dewa United vs Bigetron at 9pm, all Malaysia time. The regular season ends on 18 October.
When this was published on Friday morning, Malaysia time, none of Friday's matches had started.
Key takeaways
- NAVI beat Team Liquid ID 2-0 and now top MPL ID S18 on game difference.
- Alter Ego beat Bigetron 2-0 to join NAVI and Team Liquid ID in the playoffs.
- ONIC are sixth on five series wins, and RRQ Hoshi are eighth on three.
- RRQ Hoshi play Team Liquid ID at 6pm MYT on Friday and ONIC on Sunday.
FAQ
How many teams qualify for the MPL ID S18 playoffs? Six of the nine teams. NAVI, Team Liquid ID and Alter Ego have already qualified.
Why are there no MPL ID matches on Saturday, 10 October? The day is reserved for the Mobile Legends 10th anniversary festival in Surabaya.
What time is RRQ Hoshi vs ONIC in Malaysia? It is at 6pm on Sunday, 11 October, which is 5pm in Jakarta.
Sources: Liquipedia, Kontan, Liputan6, Uzone