MPL ID Season 18 playoffs: NAVI and Team Liquid ID wait as Alter Ego, ONIC, Bigetron and EVOS fight for M8

The MPL Indonesia Season 18 playoffs begin next Wednesday, 4 November, at Jatim Expo in Surabaya, with two places at the M8 World Championship going to the grand finalists. Team Liquid ID and NAVI finished level at the top of the table, and both skip the first round. Alter Ego, ONIC, Bigetron by Vitality and EVOS have to win one more Bo5 to stay in the race.

How the regular season finished

The regular season ran from 14 August to 18 October. Team Liquid ID and NAVI both finished 12-4 on series. Liquid ID took first place on game record, 26-11 against NAVI's 25-12. Esports.net notes that NAVI had beaten Liquid ID 2-0 in both of their meetings this season but still ended up as the second seed.

Alter Ego and defending champions Bigetron by Vitality finished 10-6, EVOS went 8-8 and ONIC 7-9. Dewa United, RRQ Hoshi and Geek Fam finished in the bottom three and missed the playoffs. RRQ Hoshi's absence from the playoffs stands out, given their history as one of the league's most successful clubs.

Playoff schedule in Malaysia time

Indonesia's western time zone (WIB) is one hour behind Malaysia, so the 13:00 and 18:00 WIB start times are 2pm and 7pm MYT.

• Wednesday 4 November: Alter Ego vs ONIC (2pm MYT, Bo5); Bigetron by Vitality vs EVOS (7pm MYT, Bo5)
• Thursday 5 November: NAVI vs a Round 1 winner (2pm MYT); Team Liquid ID vs a Round 1 winner (7pm MYT)
• Friday 6 November: lower-bracket semi-final (2pm MYT); upper-bracket final (7pm MYT)
• Saturday 7 November: lower-bracket final (5pm MYT, Bo7)
• Sunday 8 November: grand final (5pm MYT, Bo7)

NAVI's Round 2 opponent is the winner of Alter Ego vs ONIC. Itemgame lists the upper final, lower final and grand final as sold out.

What is at stake

Both grand finalists qualify for the M8 World Championship. Its main stage will be held in Istanbul, Türkiye, in January 2027, the first time the main stage of the M-Series world championship has been held outside Southeast Asia. Esports.net reports that the M8 Swiss stage runs from 3 to 10 January at ESA Arena, the grand final is on 23 January and the prize pool is US$1 million.

The MPL ID Season 18 prize pool is about US$270,000.

Malaysian interest

The M8 qualification race is being followed closely in Malaysia, where the MPL MY Season 18 playoffs began this week in Kuala Lumpur. Indonesian and Malaysian teams often meet at international events, so whoever wins in Surabaya could face MPL MY's finalists in Istanbul.

Key takeaways

• MPL ID Season 18 playoffs run from 4 to 8 November at Jatim Expo, Surabaya.
• Team Liquid ID (first) and NAVI (second) finished 12-4 and skip Round 1.
• Round 1 is Alter Ego vs ONIC and Bigetron by Vitality vs EVOS, both Bo5.
• The lower-bracket final and grand final are best-of-seven.
• Both grand finalists qualify for the M8 World Championship in Türkiye in January 2027.

FAQ

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

How many MPL ID teams qualify for M8? Two. Both teams in the Season 18 playoff grand final earn places at the M8 World Championship.

Which teams missed the MPL ID Season 18 playoffs? Dewa United, RRQ Hoshi and Geek Fam finished in the bottom three.

Sources: Esports.net, Itemgame, EarlyGame, MLBBDex