Philippines' AP Bren defeated Indonesia's ONIC Esports, 4-3, in the Mobile Legends M5 World Championship finals to claim the crown. The tournament was held at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila, Philippines, on December 17, 2023.
The AP Bren team, composed entirely of Filipinos, put on a splendid display on their home turf, showcasing the Philippines' continued dominance in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) arena and clinching the country's fourth consecutive world championship title.
Bren initially took home the title in M2 (in Singapore), followed by Blacklist International in M3 (in Singapore), and ECHO PH in M4 (in Indonesia).
Bren Esports has now secured their second MLBB world championship title. They previously emerged victorious during the M2 World Championship held in 2021. This significant achievement makes them the first-ever team to win the MLBB championship twice.
Midlaner Angelo "Pheww" Arcangel and EXP laner David "FlapTzy" Canon, who were both part of Bren's roster that claimed victory in M2, have now become the first two players to clinch two-time MLBB world championship titles.
With their win in the MLBB M5 World Championship, AP Bren took home the largest share of USD 300,000 (around PHP 16.7 million) out of the tournament's massive USD 900,000 prize pool.
Further, Bren's victory was more than just a win - it was a satisfying revenge against Onic. In the upper bracket finals, Bren suffered a sweep loss to Onic, but they bounced back and secured victory in their final encounter.
In the grand finals match, Bren was leading comfortably with a 3-1 score, but the game took an unexpected turn when Onic Esports refused to give up. In Game 5, the Filipino import Kairi "Kairi" Rayosdelsol (Baxia) made a crucial play, securing the fourth lord steal at the 26th-minute mark. Despite Bren's repeated comeback attempts, Onic made sure to seal the victory and extend their life in the best-of-seven (Bo7) series.
Despite Bren's early series advantage, Onic managed to secure a Game 6 victory, forcing the reigning MPL Philippines champions to a decisive match.
Despite a shaky performance in the previous game, AP Bren was able to regain his composure in the do-or-die Game 7, ultimately completing the team's magical run.
On the other hand, Indonesia's ONIC Esports, coached by Denver "Yeb" Miranda and led by Filipino star Kairi "Kairi" Rayosdelsol, settled for a second-place finish, bagging USD 120,000 (roughly PHP 6.6 million) in consolation.
The M5 World Championship of Mobile Legends was a huge hit, with over five million peak concurrent viewers watching the grand finals - a new record for the M-Series, according to data from Esports Charts.
The upcoming M6 World Championship of Mobile Legends is slated to take place in Malaysia in 2024. Interestingly, this Southeast Asian nation had previously hosted the inaugural edition of the championship in 2019.
AP Bren M5 Roster:
- David "FlapTzy" Canon
- Vincent "Pandora" Unigo
- Michael "KyleTzy" Sayson
- Angelo "Pheww" Arcangel
- Marco "Super Marco" Requitiano
- Rowgien "Owgwen" Unigo
Onic Esports M5 Roster:
- Muhammad "Butsss" Sanubari
- Kairi "Kairi" Rayosdelsol
- Gilang "S A N Z"
- Calvin "CW" Winata
- Adriand "Drian" Wong
- Albert "Alberttt" Iskandar
Image via Bren Esports/Facebook
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