MPL-PH Season 18 Playoffs: Schedule, Format, and the Battle for M8 World Championship Slots

The decisive stage of the MPL Philippines Season 18 tournament for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is taking place from October 21 to 25, 2026. The top six teams from the regular season are competing for the championship title, the lion's share of the $150,000 prize pool, and two slots at the M8 World Championship, which will go to the finalists.

The playoffs follow a hybrid elimination format:

• First Round: The teams that placed 3rd–6th in the regular season began their run in single-elimination matches.
• Second Round and Upper Bracket: The first and second seeds started directly in the upper bracket semifinals, from which point the tournament transitioned to a double-elimination format.
• Match Format: Most series are played as best-of-five (Bo5), while the lower bracket final and Grand Final will be best-of-seven (Bo7) series.

In the quarterfinals on October 21, ONIC defeated TNC 3:2, while RORA proved stronger than OMG 3:2. Following the upper bracket semifinals on October 22, Team Falcons PH swept ONIC 3:0, and RORA secured a 3:1 victory over Team Liquid PH. In the upcoming matches on October 23, Team Liquid PH and ONIC will face off in the lower bracket semifinals, while Team Falcons PH and RORA will battle for the first spot in the Grand Final and a coveted ticket to M8.

As a reminder: Mobile Legends publisher gifts gold bracelets worth a total of $1.4M to employees.