In a stunning upset last night, RRQ Hoshi faltered in their bid for a grand final berth at the MLBB Games of the Future 2024 tournament, succumbing to a decisive loss against AP Bren. Consequently, RRQ Hoshi now finds themselves relegated to the third-place match scheduled for tonight.
Heading into the new year of 2024, the Indonesian MLBB powerhouse had garnered massive hype following the acquisition of Borris “Brusko” Parro, John “Irrad” Abarquez, and head coach Vrendon “Vrendon” Pesebre from the Philippines scene. The community saw these transfers as a chance for RRQ Hoshi to make a comeback after a not-so-great year, giving hope for a fresh start.
Nevertheless, the RRQ Hoshi coaching staff tempered expectations, expressing a pragmatic view towards their chances in the competition and seeing the GoF 2024 event as a litmus test for their readiness to compete at the international level once more. The outcome of last night’s matches underscores the necessity for improvement if they aspire to contend at the highest level this year.
The gap in skill was clear as RRQ faced AP Bren, the M-series champion, who showed superior tactical prowess and winning mentality. In the first game, RRQ suffered the biggest defeat in its professional competition so far, unable to withstand the onslaught of the Bren duo, Marco “Super Marco” Requitano and Michael “KyleTzy” Saison. The team ultimately conceding defeat in the 19th minute with a resounding scoreline of 0-17.
RRQ then fiercely fought back in the game 2, engaging Bren in a closely contested battle from the outset. Through Irrad’s exceptional performance, they managed to keep Bren on edge, clinching victory in the 13th minute with a score of 12-6.
Unfortunately, Bren resorted to a more aggressive draft strategy in the final encounter, dominating the whole game and denying RRQ the opportunity to secure important objectives. Consequently, RRQ suffered elimination from contention with a definitive 5-20 defeat.
Following their setback, RRQ is slated to compete in the third-place match against Turkish representatives, Fire Flux. Meanwhile, Bren is set to rematch Onic Esports in the grand final, promising an intriguing spectacle given their previous encounter in the M5 grand final of December 2023, where the former secured a dramatic victory to claim a historic brace.
