The fourth Mobile Legends World Championship group stage tournament (M4) has successfully concluded. After five days of group stage games, the schedule for the upcoming upper bracket and lower bracket matches has finally been published.
And as predicted, due to the lack of a knockout rules in the group stage, the team have not demonstrated their full potential with multiple surprises over the past few days. The fans’ favorites were struggling at the outset, while the underdogs outperformed.
However, the real hurdles will be felt before the knockout phase, which begins this weekend. And, based on the game and its potential, we believe the following teams will make it all the way to the top four!
1.Todak
When it comes to the MLBB International competition, it’s no secret that Malaysian teams are less respected than those from Indonesia and the Philippines.
Team HAQ and Todak, however, appear to have the aces on their sleeves.
Team Todak, who competed in group A with Onic Esports and Malvinas, easily won the group.
Several observers and coaches at the M4 tournament stated that Todak’s relaxed and ‘experimental’ play was the key to their winning streak. They believe that the current MLBB meta fits nicely with the team’s tactics.
Muhammad “Ciku” bin Mohammad Fuad, is a crucial factor in the team’s performance. Ciku’s wide hero pool is an invaluable asset in determining the ‘unique’ strategies to be used in a game.
With Todak being able to utilise the current meta well in this competition, it is not an exaggeration to say that many people believe this Malaysian team will go far, and even become a finalist.
Nonetheless, they will face a difficult task in breaking the curse against Indonesian team and powerhouses from Philippines.
2.Echo Philippines
The MPL Philippines Season 10 runner-up, like Todak, was able to win the group with, surprisingly, full points in a group that included prominent teams like RRQ Hoshi and RSG Singapore.
KarlTzy and his teammates’ disciplined and dynamic play has made them the new favorites to get to the final round. Even now, many fans believe they have shown superior games than their rival, Blacklist.
The sister team of Aura Esports has not displayed any noticeable weaknesses in the M4 competition thus far. Expect them to turn up and become key contenders in the following knockout rounds.
3.Blacklist International
The MPL Philippines Season 10 champion fielded their strongest team. They traveled to Indonesia with enormous confidence of becoming a back-to-back M4 winner.
But the start to the competition for Blacklist was not as smooth as they had imagined.
Falcon Esports, Myanmar’s representative who has only recently returned to international play, subdued Villaluna and friends. Furthermore, Blacklist almost ended in third place of Group A when Incendio Supremacy nearly took them down.
However, analysts believe Blacklist is saving its best for the last. They emphasise that Blacklist’s draft picks were too conservative, with the intention of sussing out their opponents. They also predicted that Villaluna will play beyond his usual hero pool once the knockout phase begins.
In addition, the locker room of the Blacklist players has displayed a positive aura, implying that they are not genuinely worried about past results.
The coach, Bon Chan, stated that the Blacklists have not been concerned thus far and have accomplished their initial objective, which was to reach the upper bracket.
4.Onic Esports
As one of the host teams, Onic Esports, the winner of MPL Indonesia Season 10 and MPL Invitational 2022, is being marketed prominently in the media, particularly in Indonesia, as a contender for this year’s title.
The players of Onic have demonstrated their winning mindset. When their backs are against the wall, the team is able to pull out the stops to avoid defeat with the thinnest of margins. Just ask RRQ and Geek Fam.
The in-form performance of the superstar Kairi “Kairi” Rayosdelsol is Onic’s talisman, and boy can he play. His vicious play demonstrates that there is no foolproof defense that can stop him.
5.Falcon Esports
Myanmar’s return to international competition is, of course, surprising given their absence a year ago.
Even though they are perceived by many as “just another SEA team”, numerous professional players, particularly in Indonesia, believe Falcon Esports should not be underestimated.
They are even concerned that the M2 finalist is hungry for a title since they did not compete in the M3 tournament last year. Their concerns have been validated so far: Falcon Esports has successfully dominated Group A, which also includes Incendio Supremacy and Blacklist International.
Kenneth “Kenn,” Falcon’s jungler, explosive gameplay is guaranteed to be a thrilling sight in the competition. Watch out for his performance in the rounds ahead!
