Wikipedia - MPL Philippines

The Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League Philippines, officially known as MPL Philippines or MPL-PH, is the premier professional Esports league in the Philippines for the multiplayer online battle arena game (MOBA) Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. The league serves as the exclusive qualification pathway for eligible teams to compete in both the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid Season Cup and the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang World Championship.

Currently, MPL Philippines operates under a franchise-based system, which features eight competing teams. This structure has officially replaced the local team qualifiers, which were previously utilized, such as during MPL Philippines Season 7.

Since its establishment in 2018, the MPL Philippines championship title has been secured by six distinct teams. Notably, two organizations have achieved the distinction of becoming back-to-back champions: Sunsparks and Blacklist International. The aforementioned Blacklist International and Team Liquid Philippines each ties the most number of championship titles by any franchise with three.

The league has also demonstrated significant international success, with three of the eight current MPL-PH teams, and one former franchise team winning the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang World Championship title: AP Bren (M2 and M5), Blacklist International (M3), Team Liquid PH (formerly ECHO PH) (M4), and ONIC Philippines (M6). Moreover, the success of Philippine teams extends to the Mid Season Cup (MSC), formerly known as the Southeast Asia Cup. Four different organizations hailing from the MPL-PH have claimed this title. This includes three former teams: Aether Main in 2018, Execration in 2021, and RSG Philippines in 2022. Most recently, Team Liquid PH, the only active MPL-PH team, secured the championship in 2025.

History

Pre-Franchise Era (2018-2021)

In 2018, MPL Philippines was established as the premiere professional league for MLBB esports in the Philippines alongside its sister leagues in MPL Indonesia and formerly MPL MYSG (now MPL Malaysia). The first season featured ten regional teams qualifying to MPL Philippines Season 1 with Aether Main being the inaugural champions of MPL Philippines, defeating Digital Devils Pro in the finals 3–0. Later in the year, Aether Main went on to win the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Southeast Asian Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia over a MPL Philippines grand finals rematch between the team and Digital Devils Pro. Aether Main would become the first team in the league to win an international trophy and brought the Philippines its first of four MSC titles.

This was immediately followed by Cignal Ultra who won Season 2 in a similar fashion, defeating the defending champion roster now under Bren Esports in the finals 3–1. Season 2 is the only MPL season to be held in two separate years being held from October 2018 to January 2019. Since the world championships were not incepted until the latter part of 2019, Season 2 became the only year thus far to not have an world championship tournament.

The third season was held in the middle of 2019 where MSC 2019 was to be held in the Philippines. Defending champions Cignal Ultra fell to Bren Esports in the lower bracket finals but ArkAngel defeated Bren in the Grand Finals 3–2. This is the first finals series that went all five games. ArkAngel and Bren would represent the Philippines in MSC 2019 only to have the country's worse performance in the MSC stage thus far.

The fourth season of MPL Philippines was held after and the champions and runner-up of MPL Philippines would qualify to the inaugural MLBB M1 World Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Sunsparks fended off a 2–1 deficit in the finals and won the Season 4 title 3–2 over ONIC Philippines. This would be the last full five-game series in the finals as the league slowly transitioned to a best-of-seven grand finals thereafter. Sunsparks and ONIC would however, falter in the inaugural season of Worlds.

The fifth season was the first season to be held during the COVID-19 pandemic as for the next few seasons, the league transitioned to an online based tournament. Season 5 would also see the first and only tournament thus far to not have an MSC tournament after the season after game developers Moonton cancelled the supposed offline tournament due to the pandemic and flight restrictions observed during this time. Sunsparks would make history as the first team to win back-to-back MPL championship titles and against the same opponent.

The sixth season was the first finals series that introduced the best-of-seven series. Bren Esports would qualify to the MLBB M2 World Championships and would win the team's first title after defeating Smart Omega 4–2 in the finals. Bren Esports would also make history as the first Filipino team to win the MLBB M2 World Championship title, giving the Philippines its first out of five titles in the tournament.

The seventh season was the last season to introduce the qualifier stage as in the next season, the league would transition to a full, franchise-based system. Blacklist International would comeback from a 3–1 deficit in the grand finals to win the Season 7 title 4–3 over Execration. In the same year however, Execration would defeat Blacklist 4–1 in the MSC 2021 grand finals, the first all-Filipino finals in an international tournament.

Franchise Era (2021-present)

Season 8 onwards has transitioned the league to an franchise based system with eight teams competing in a brand new format and organization. Several notable teams like Execration have left the league with its roster being absorbed by Smart Omega. Blacklist International would become the second team, and the most-recent team thus far to win back-to-back titles in MPL Philippines, defeating ONIC Philippines in the finals, 4–1. In the same year, Blacklist would win the MLBB M3 World Championship title in Singapore again against ONIC Philippines. Blacklist would bring the country its second of five world titles.

Season 9 saw the rise of RSG Philippines, the Singapore-based organization who also fueled teams in Malaysia and Singapore at the time. RSG would defeat the sixth-seed Smart Omega in the finals 4-1 and in the same year, defeating Indonesian powerhouse RRQ Hoshi in the MSC 2022 Grand Finals in a 4–0 sweep. RSG would bring the Philippines third MSC title and its last for a brief period of time.

Season 10 then saw the resurgence of Blacklist International who finished 3–11 in the last season. Blacklist defeated the superteam ECHO Philippines in the finals 4-2 and brought the franchise its third and last MPL Philippines title. ECHO, similarly to Execration, would seek their kryptonite title as they defeated Blacklist—who were vying to become the first team in MLBB history to go back-to-back world champions—in the MLBB M4 World Championship 4–0. ECHO brought the country's third world title.

Season 11 would rekindle a rivalry between Blacklist and ECHO as both teams were again in the finals for the second-consecutive year in a row, the second time that this had occurred since Sunsparks and ONIC Philippines in Season 4 and 5. ECHO would sweep Blacklist in the finals, winning the championship 4–0. However, it was Blacklist who would advance further in MSC 2023 advancing as far as the finals but was defeated 4–2 by Indonesian representatives ONIC Esports, the first grand finals defeat for a Filipino team in an international tournament.

Season 12 saw the revamped AP Bren (formerly Bren Esports) back in the finals for the first time since Season 6. AP Bren had lost several of its stars to retirement or to free agency but made a powerhouse team from local and holdover players. AP Bren defeated Blacklist International in the Grand Finals 4-1 but both teams qualified to the MLBB M5 World Championship hosted on home soil. AP Bren defeated ONIC Esports in their attempt of the "Golden Road" a term used for teams who would sweep an entire professional calendar year by winning their league's two championship splits and the two international tournaments of the same year. Bren defeated ONIC 4–3 in the finals and gave the Philippines its fourth world title.

Season 13 revived a rebranded ECHO Philippines, now Liquid ECHO for the tournament after Team Liquid's most recent acquisition of its parent company, Aura Esports. Liquid ECHO defeated defending champions AP Bren (known this time as Falcons AP Bren) in a 4–0 sweep, the first sweep since Season 11 which was also their championship year. Liquid ECHO and Falcons AP Bren qualified to MSC 2024 with Falcons AP Bren going to the finals against Malaysian representatives Selangor Red Giants, the first Malaysian representatives in an international tournament's grand finals series. SRG would shock the defending world champions after winning 4–3 in the finals, denying the Philippines' another MSC title.

Season 14 would see the resurgence of ONIC Philippines known as Fnatic ONIC Philippines at the time. The team would tie Blacklist International's Season 8 record of 13-1 and would hold the longest-win streak by any team at 13 games for any team in a single season. This would later be tied by Aurora Gaming in Season 16. Season 14 also saw the entry of the aforementioned Aurora Gaming to MPL Philippines after Minana EVOS' departure. FNOP defeated Aurora in the first full seven-game grand finals since Season 7 and won ONIC's first tile. In the same year, FNOP defeated Team Liquid Indonesia in the MLBB M6 World Championship and brought the Philippnes its fifth world title.

Season 15 would produce three teams that won 10 games or more in a single season with Team Liquid (12–2), Aurora (12–2), and ONIC (10–4) being the top three teams. ONIC would pitch a potential back-to-back campaign but was denied by Team Liquid PH after they defeated ONIC 4–3 in the grand finals. Team Liquid now holds three MPL titles, tying Blacklist International's title count. Season 15 also saw the departures of Blacklist International and RSG Philippines as franchise teams and was replaced by Middle East powerhouse teams Team Falcons and Twisted Minds. In the same year, Team Liquid PH ended the Philippines' MSC title drought after defeating defending champions SRG OG Esports in the finals, 4–1.

Season 16 saw Aurora Gaming tie ONIC Philippines' 13–0 win streak record before their run was cut short by Team Liquid PH in the Grand Finals. Defending MSC champions Team Liquid PH advanced to their second straight finals as the third seed and delivered the league's first Grand Finals sweep since Season 13, defeating Aurora 4–0 to claim their third title in four tournaments and complete the "Golden Road." Meanwhile, TNC Pro Team recorded its best finish since Season 9, placing third after defeating Twisted Minds and defending world champions ONIC PH in the lower bracket before falling to Team Liquid PH 4–1 in the semifinals.

**Tournament Description: Mobile Legends - MPL Philippines**

Welcome to the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) Philippines, the premier esports tournament that showcases the best Mobile Legends teams in the country! As one of the most anticipated events in the Philippine gaming calendar, MPL Philippines brings together top-tier talent, fierce competition, and passionate fans, all vying for glory and a chance to represent the nation on the international stage.

**Event Highlights:**

- **Elite Competition:** Watch as the finest Mobile Legends teams battle it out in intense matches, showcasing their skills, strategies, and teamwork. With a mix of seasoned veterans and rising stars, every game promises to be a thrilling spectacle.

- **Exciting Format:** The tournament features a league format, where teams compete in a series of matches over several weeks, culminating in a nail-biting playoff stage. The top teams will fight for the championship title and a share of the prize pool, making every match crucial.

- **Fan Engagement:** MPL Philippines is not just about the competition; it’s a celebration of the Mobile Legends community. Fans can participate in various activities, including meet-and-greets with players, giveaways, and interactive events, creating an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.

- **Broadcast and Coverage:** Enjoy high-quality live broadcasts of all matches, complete with expert commentary and analysis. Fans can tune in via multiple platforms, ensuring that no one misses a moment of the action.

- **Cultural Impact:** As a significant part of the Philippine esports landscape, MPL Philippines not only highlights the skill and dedication of local players but also promotes the growth of esports in the region, inspiring the next generation of gamers.

Join us for the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League Philippines, where legends are born, and champions are made! Whether you’re a die-hard fan or new to the scene, this tournament promises excitement, drama, and unforgettable moments. Don’t miss out on the action!