Filipino players consider MSC title as 'missing piece' in esports careers

MANILA, Philippines – The upcoming Mobile Legends Bang Bang (MLBB) Mid-Season Cup (MSC) is set to be the biggest MLBB competition to date thanks to its one-off prize pool of $3 million.

Though our Filipino representatives are eyeing to take home the champion team's share worth $1 million or approximately P57 million, the biggest motivation is the title itself as many of the Filipino pro players heading to Riyadh have yet to add an MSC title to their name.

Defining their upcoming campaign in the MSC, head coach of Team Liquid ECHO Archie “Tictac” Reyes uses just two words: missing piece as the MSC title is the one trophy missing for the team.

Among the Moonton official tournaments, Team Liquid ECHO has won the Mobile Legends Professional League (MPL) Philippines twice and won the M4 World Championship back in 2023 in Jakarta. The missing piece, as Reyes puts it, is the MSC, particularly for jungler Karl "KarlTzy" Nepomuceno, who also has a Southeast Asian games gold medal for MLBB.

"Missing piece. Ito na lang yung kulang ng team and also for Karl. So sobrang tagal na ni Karl sa liga, ito na lang yung wala niya," explained Reyes.

The same can be said for members of Falcons AP Bren who have done a world tour of championship titles last year, winning Moonton official tournaments like the MPL Philippines and the M5 World Championship in front of a Filipino crowd. Earlier this year, they went to Kazan, Russia, and ruled the MLBB event in the 2024 Games of the Future.

The main five, with head coach Francis "Ducky" Glindro, made up the MLBB Men's Sibol team last year and won the gold medal in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games MLBB event and in the 15th World Esports Championship organized by the International Esports Federation as they competed under Sibol.

"Sa akin, parang sobrang sarap sa feeling na mag-champion. Kasi yun na lang din yung kulang, MSC na lang. Makukompleto na yung major tournaments na nag-champion [kami]," said EXP laner David "FlapTzy" Canon.

The Mobile Legends Mid-Season Cup (MSC) group stages will begin on July 3, with Falcons AP Bren taking on Chinese team Xianyou Gaming at 4 p.m. (Manila time); and Team Liquid Echo facing Saudi Arabia's Twisted Minds at 7 p.m. (Manila time).