RSG rises to top; Bren, Blacklist get boot in MPL Season 9

MANILA, Philippines — RSG secured the top spot in the Mobile Legends Professional League-Season 9 (MPL S9) in style as they swept ONIC PH, 2-0, while M2 and M3 World Champions Bren Esports and Blacklist International missed the playoffs bus in the final week of the league's regular season.

Week Eight saw different scenarios for Smart Omega, Nexplay EVOS, Blacklist International and Bren Esports on how each team could break it to the playoffs, with the latter's chances already very slim.

Smart Omega drew first blood as they closed the door on BREN Esport's with a 2-1 win. They then eliminated defending champions Blacklist International the following day with a sweep 2-0, securing the playoffs slot not just for their team but for Nexplay EVOS as well. They end the season at rank number six.

With the six teams secured, all eyes were on who would come out on top of the standings. RSG made quick work on that by sweeping ONIC PH 2-0, rising to the top of the leaderboard.

The second seed was a different story. 

It looked like TNC was ensuring their hold on the second spot as they swept Nexplay EVOS, 2-0, but they hit a snag when they faced Bren Esports. Ending their Season 9 run on a high note, Bren Esports stunned TNC, 2-0, leaving TNC's quest for the second seed in peril.

Coming from a 1-2 defeat against ONIC PH, Echo needed to secure a win against Nexplay EVOS to snatch the second seed from TNC. Echo started Game One with a kill in less than a minute and led most of the match but Nexplay EVOS proved to be the better team as they snatched a 17-16 win. Confident with their performance, Nexplay dominated Game Two and crushed Echo's second seed hopes with a 2-0 sweep, leaving them at rank No. 3.

The sweep lifted Nexplay EVOS to fourth place, displacing ONIC PH one last time to fifth. Though they tied in points, Nexplay led ONIC in their head-to-head match wins (Nexplay won 2-0, while ONIC PH won by 2-1).

RSG and TNC, having secured the top two seeds, get the Upper Bracket advantage, instantly advancing to the second round of playoffs. RSG, as the top seed, will decide the placement of the third- and fourth-ranked teams (Echo and Nexplay EVOS) in the opening matches of the playoffs, while Echo also has the same decision for ranks five and six (ONIC PH and Smart Omega).

The MPL Season 9 will be taking a two-week break before the start of the playoffs.