Esports tournament
The MPL-Philippines Season 8 was the eight iteration of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) of the Philippines. The season ran from August 27, 2021, and ended on the conclusion of the Grand Finals on October 24, 2021. Season 8 was the fourth online tournament in MPL Philippines primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The season was known for its shift to the franchise-based setup system and that numerous franchises would be added on by the league. The season concluded with Blacklist International winning the season's championship defeating ONIC Philippines in the best-of-seven grand final series, 4–1, to win back-to-back MPL championships and becoming the second team to do this in league history. The first to do it was the Sunsparks, winning both titles for Seasons 4 and 5.
Background
This season would be the fourth tournament held almost online, except for the Grand Finals which was held offline with no live audience at the World Trade Center, Pasay City. The season saw a dramatic decrease in viewership, obtaining 26.5 million hours watched compared to Season 7's 33 million. This was primarily due to the lost and abandoning of other languages' streams such as the English and Indonesian streams. Furthermore, its peak viewers would rank 3rd all-time with 593,399 peak viewers compared to Season 7's 1.4 million peak viewers and Season 6's 765.9 thousand viewers.
The season also served as the Philippine qualifiers for the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang World Championship or known as M3.
Regular season
Format
The regular season began on August 27, 2021, and ended on October 10, 2021. The regular season was a double round-robin format, with each team plays their opponents twice, for a total of 14 games being played per team. A total of three group stage points may be earned in a single regular season match, based on the following:
- If the match is decided by a 2–0 score, the winner shall earn 3 group stage points, while the loser earns 0 group stage points.
- If the match is decided by a 2–1 score, the winner shall earn 2 group stage points, while the loser earns 1 group stage point.
The top two teams of the standings gained outright qualification to the Upper Bracket Semifinals, while the next four teams qualified for the play-ins.
Standings
Source:
Playoffs
Format
The top 6 teams at the end of regular season qualified for the playoffs. All of the playoff teams after the season were invited for the 2021 ONE Esports Invitationals, with the champion gaining outright quarterfinal slot.
The playoffs will follow a two-elimination series at the beginning and would follow a double-elimination tournament where the upper-bracket losers will descend to the lower-bracket. Playoff games would be a best-of-five tournament and the grand finals would be a best-of-seven matchup.
Venues
The six matches of the playoffs were cast at the MPL Arena Games and were held online. The final two matches, the lower bracket final and the Grand Finals, took place at World Trade Center, Pasay City and were held with no live audience.
Bracket
Play-ins
Play-ins are a best-of-5 series, the winners advanced to the Upper Bracket Semifinals, the losers were eliminated.
Upper Bracket Semifinals
Winners advanced to the Upper Bracket Final, losers were relegated to the Lower Bracket Semifinals.
Lower Bracket Semifinals
An eliminator match. Winner advanced to the Lower Bracket Final.
Upper Bracket Finals
Winner advanced to the Grand Final and qualified for M3 World Championships, while loser was relegated to the Lower Bracket Final.
Lower Bracket Finals
An eliminator match. Winner advanced to the Grand Finals, and qualified for the M3 World Championships.
Venue: World Trade Center, Pasay City
Grand Finals
Grand Finals were a best-of-seven series, both finalists represented the Philippines for the M3 World Championships.
Venue: World Trade Center, Pasay City
Awards
Individual awards
Team of the Season
Source:
References
- Vistek. "Schedule – Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League Philippines". ph-mpl.com. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- Coloma, Angela (July 14, 2021). "Mobile Legends: MPL-PH shifts to 'franchise-based' setup ahead of Season 8". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- "Mobile Legends: Blacklist International crowned as the champions of MPL-PH Season 8". GamingonPhone. October 24, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- INQUIRER.net. "Sunsparks Becomes Back to Back MLBB Champions in MPL-PH S5". esports.inquirer.net. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- "MPL PH Season 8 / Statistics".
- "Every team qualified for the M3 World Championship". ONE Esports. October 19, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- ^ "Rules of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (Philippines)". MPL. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
- Gahlyan, Ravi (July 21, 2021). "MPL PH Season 8 Result". AFK Gaming. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- Lojo, Michelle (October 30, 2021). "ONE Esports forges partnerships ahead of MLBB Invitational". Philstar.com. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
- Vistek. "MPL PH Season 8 playoffs are set – Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League Philippines". ph-mpl.com. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- Magallon, Reynald (October 24, 2021). "Season 8 Finale marks MPL PH return to offline event after 2 years". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
- Trilles, Calvin (October 31, 2021). "Demonkite, itinanghal na MPL PH Season 8 Best Rookie". ONE Esports (in Tagalog). Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- Coloma, Angela (October 20, 2021). "Mobile Legends: Hadji is MPL S8's regular season MVP". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- Siasat, J. M. "Hadji rises, emerges as Season 8 MVP". Daily Tribune. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- "MPL Philippines – Sila Kairi., OHEB (Kiel Gaming), Edward., Ohmyv33nus, at HAD JI ang bumubuo sa #MPLPH S8 Team of the Season!". Facebook. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
| MPL Philippines |
|---|
| Moonton, MPL Philippines, Current |
| Seasons |
|  |
|---|
| Teams | | Current |
|
|---|
| Former |
- Aether Main
- ArkAngel
- Cignal Ultra
- Digital Devils Pro
- Execration
- Finesse Solid
- Geek Fam PH
- Minana EVOS
- Nexplay EVOS
- Obsidian Gaming
- SunSparks
|
|---|
|
|---|
| International Titles | | World Championships |
|
|---|
| MSC Cups |
|
|---|
| Women's Invitational |
|
|---|
| MPLI Invitational |
|
|---|
| Southeast Asian Games |
|
|---|
| Games of the Future |
|
|---|
|
|---|
| Affiliated League(s) |
|
|---|
| MDL Philippines | | Season |
- S1 (2023)
- S2 (2023)
- S3 (2024)
- S4 (2024)
- S5 (2025)
- S6 (2025)
|
|---|
| Teams | | Current |
- Blacklist Academy
- Omega Neos
- ONIC Arsenals
- Liquid ECHO
- RSG Philippines
- TNC-Rough World Era
- AP.Bren
- RRQ Kaito
- GameLab Desolators
|
|---|
| Former |
- NXPE Tiger Cubs
- Minana Archives
- Euphoria Esports
- MHRLK Esports
- Team Lunatix
- Mistah Esports
- El Ganador Esports
- ZOL Esports
|
|---|
|
|---|
|
|---|
| Personalities |
|
|---|
- Seasonal Partnership with MPL Franchises.
|
| Mobile Legends: Bang Bang in Esports |
|---|
 | International tournaments |
|
|---|
| MLBB World Champions |
EVOS Legends (M1)
AP Bren (M2, M5)
Blacklist International (M3)
ECHO Philippines (M4)
Fnatic ONIC Philippines (M6)
|
|---|
| MLBB MSC Champions |
- IDONOTSLEEP (2017)
- Aether Main (2018)
- ONIC Esports (2019)
- Cancelled (2020)
- Execration (2021)
- RSG Philippines (2022)
- ONIC Esports (2023)
- Selangor Red Giants (2024)
|
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| Domestic leagues |
|
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| Other domestic leagues | |
|---|
| Notable teams |
|
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| Related |
|
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- Previously known as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Southeast Asia Cup until 2023.
- Previously known as Bren Esports until 2023.
- Previously known as Minana EVOS until 2024.
- Team Liquid acquired AURA Esports in 2024.
|
Categories:
Philippines