MPL MY S18 Week 8: Selangor Red Giants and Team Vamos meet on 16 October as five teams lock playoff places

The MPL Malaysia Season 18 regular season ends this weekend at the MPL MY Arena in Kuala Lumpur. Seven Week 8 matches run from Friday 16 October to Sunday 18 October, and five teams have already secured playoff places. The weekend will settle first place and the last of the six playoff spots. The headline match is Team Vamos against league leaders Selangor Red Giants on Friday night. This preview follows on from Sunday's Week 7 results, when Team Rey beat RRQ Tora 2-0.

Where the table stands

Going into the final week, Selangor Red Giants (SRG) lead on 10-2 with a 22-6 game record. Team Rey are level on 10 match wins but have played one match more (10-3, 21-9). Team Vamos are a win behind on 9-3 (19-12). Below them are Invictus Gaming on 6-6, Bigetron MY by VIT on 5-7 and Team Flash on 4-8. RRQ Tora (3-10) and AC Esports (2-10) sit seventh and eighth.

The top six reach the playoffs. RRQ Tora have one match left and AC Esports have two, so neither can finish with more than four wins. That means the top five are already through, because Bigetron MY can finish no lower than five wins.

The race for first place

SRG have the simplest route. If they beat Team Vamos on Friday and Invictus Gaming on Saturday, they finish on 12 wins, which nobody else can reach. Team Rey have one match left, against AC Esports on Saturday, so their best possible finish is 11-3. Team Vamos play SRG and then AC Esports on Sunday, so they can also reach 11 wins.

That puts the Friday 8.15pm match between Team Vamos and SRG at the centre of the weekend. A Vamos win would bring them level with the leaders on match wins. It would also leave three teams in contention for top spot going into SRG's match against Invictus Gaming on Saturday night.

Team Flash and the last playoff place

Team Flash play twice: Invictus Gaming at 5pm on Friday and Bigetron MY at 2.30pm on Saturday. One win guarantees them sixth place outright. If they lose both, they stay on four wins. RRQ Tora could then draw level by beating Bigetron MY, and AC Esports by beating both Team Rey and Team Vamos, and tiebreakers would decide the last spot.

RRQ Tora play once more, against Bigetron MY at 5pm on Sunday. That is the final match of the regular season, so the playoff line-up may not be settled until the last game.

Week 8 schedule (Malaysia time)

• Friday 16 October: Team Flash vs Invictus Gaming (5pm); Team Vamos vs Selangor Red Giants (8.15pm)
• Saturday 17 October: Bigetron MY by VIT vs Team Flash (2.30pm); AC Esports vs Team Rey (5pm); Invictus Gaming vs Selangor Red Giants (8.15pm)
• Sunday 18 October: AC Esports vs Team Vamos (2.30pm); RRQ Tora vs Bigetron MY by VIT (5pm)

The playoffs are listed for 28 October to 1 November. The top two MPL MY Season 18 teams will represent Malaysia at the M8 World Championship in Istanbul, Turkey.

Key takeaways

• Selangor Red Giants, Team Rey, Team Vamos, Invictus Gaming and Bigetron MY by VIT have all secured MPL MY S18 playoff places.
• SRG finish top on match wins if they win both of their remaining matches.
• Team Vamos vs SRG on Friday 16 October at 8.15pm Malaysia time is the key match of the week.
• Team Flash need one win from two to guarantee sixth place.
• The playoffs run from 28 October to 1 November, with two M8 places on offer.

FAQ

When does MPL MY S18 Week 8 start? On Friday 16 October at 5pm Malaysia time, when Team Flash play Invictus Gaming. The regular season ends on Sunday 18 October.

How many teams qualify for the MPL MY S18 playoffs? Six. Five are already confirmed, and the last place is between Team Flash, RRQ Tora and AC Esports.

How many Malaysian teams go to M8? Two. The top two teams from the MPL MY Season 18 playoffs go to the M8 World Championship in Istanbul.

Sources: MPL Malaysia, MLBB Hub, Esportsverse, Moonton