The regular season of the MLBB Pro League Indonesia Season 13 has concluded with major surprises as Evos Glory and RRQ Hoshi defied expectations by ending the group stage in 5th and 6th places, thus advancing to the playoffs.
Despite being renowned as two of the giants in the Indonesian MLBB scene, both teams struggled to escape the lower ranks since the competition began eight weeks ago. Their situation was exacerbated by internal issues that leaked to the public, creating a drama within their camps.
In response, both teams opted for mid-season changes to alter their fortunes and secure a playoff spot. Evos initiated a significant overhaul of their roster and coaching team, including the Filipino head coach John “Theo” Eusebio, by bringing in fresh talents from EVOS Holy to compete in MPL ID Season 13.
Meanwhile, RRQ bolstered their lineup by re-signing fan favorites Calvyn “Vyn” from Bigetron Alpha and Ferdyansyah “Ferxic” Kamaruddin. The biggest surprise, though, was the absence of coach Vrendon “Vren” Pesebre, who went out in the middle of the regular season.
Amidst these challenges, Evos and RRQ managed to crawl out of the elimination zone and extend their run in the competition. Starting from week 4, Evos secured seven wins out of nine matches leading up to week 9 last Saturday (5/18). Although they lost to Onic Esports on the final day, they had accumulated enough points to maintain their 5th place position.
RRQ, on the other hand, faced a problematic season but managed to join their rivals in the playoffs, relying on a bit of luck in the final week. The mid-season addition of Vyn did not immediately improve the team’s performance. However, the inconsistency of other teams in the elimination zone kept their chances alive until week 9.
By the end of the regular season, RRQ had won only 7 of their 16 games. Before their last match last night, they were at risk of entering a tie-breaker with Rebellion, who had a chance to equal their points for the 6th spot. Ultimately, their spot was secured when Rebellion lost to Geek Fam, who clinched third place.
Even though Evos and RRQ made it to the next round, they can’t start celebrating just yet. The fan pressure is going to ramp up in the upcoming MPL ID Season 13 playoffs. And given the big gap in strength between them and the top four teams, they really need to use the break to fine-tune their strategies.
MPL ID Season 13 will return on June 5 with knockout matches between Evos and Aura Fire, and RRQ against Geek Fam. Pundits have expressed doubts about these two teams, as their opponents have demonstrated superior tactics this season.
