The MPL Indonesia Season 18 playoffs began with two matchups that determined the upper-bracket semi-finalists. Alter Ego defeated ONIC 3:1, while Bigetron by Vitality overcame EVOS in a tense series, winning 3:2.
Thanks to these victories, Alter Ego and Bigetron will continue their fight for the championship title. In the next round, they will face NAVI and Team Liquid ID, who finished the regular season in the top two positions and earned the opportunity to begin their playoff campaigns in the second round.
Alter Ego eliminate ONIC from the tournament
The first playoff match was the series between Alter Ego and ONIC. The teams finished the regular season in third and sixth place, respectively, meaning Alter Ego entered the matchup with the higher seeding. However, everything would be decided directly in the series.
Alter Ego secured a 3:1 victory and advanced to the next round of the upper bracket. ONIC, meanwhile, ended their MPL Indonesia Season 18 campaign, failing to continue their fight for the championship title.
For Alter Ego, this was an important result ahead of their matchup against NAVI. The team maintained its opportunity to reach the upper-bracket final and continue fighting for a place in the grand final without suffering a playoff defeat.
Bigetron by Vitality defeat EVOS in a decisive series
The second match of the day was the encounter between Bigetron by Vitality and EVOS. Both teams finished the regular season in neighboring positions: Bigetron took fourth place with 10 wins and 6 losses, while EVOS finished fifth with an 8–8 record.
The matchup proved much more intense than the first series of the day. The teams went all the way to a fifth map, where the winner was decided. EVOS lost the first map but then made an incredible comeback, taking two maps in a row. The score became 1:2, but this was not enough for the "White Tigers" to close out the series. The team then ran out of steam. In the end, Bigetron by Vitality secured a 3:2 victory and eliminated EVOS from the tournament.
As a result, Bigetron earned the opportunity to face the regular-season winner, Team Liquid ID. For the team, this is a chance to continue fighting for the championship title and a place in the upper-bracket final.
Fans worth playing for
The fans' reaction to the results of the first day of the playoffs also deserves special attention. The stands were filled with supporters of both ONIC and EVOS, for whom their favorite teams' defeats were an extremely emotional moment.
After the matches ended, some fans could be seen crying, while others were visibly devastated by their teams' elimination from the tournament. Nevertheless, even after these disappointing results, the supporters did not stop cheering for their teams. They continued applauding and showing their appreciation for the players, whose season had come to an end.
This moment became one of the most memorable episodes of the matchday, reminding everyone how important a place Mobile Legends holds in the lives of the local esports community. Even defeat could not erase the support the teams had received from their fans throughout the season.
MPL Indonesia Season 18 upper-bracket semi-final schedule
Today, November 5, two second-round upper-bracket matches will take place. NAVI and Team Liquid ID will join the competition, having earned byes to this stage thanks to their top-two finishes in the regular season.
Match schedule:
08:00 — NAVI vs Alter Ego.
13:00 — Team Liquid ID vs Bigetron by Vitality.
Both matchups will be played in a Best of 5 format. The winners will advance to the upper-bracket final, scheduled for November 6. The losing teams will continue their campaigns in the lower bracket.
For NAVI, the match against Alter Ego will be their first test in the playoffs. The Ukrainian organization finished the regular season in second place with 12 wins and 4 losses. Now the team needs to confirm its status as one of the tournament favorites and take a step toward the upper-bracket final.
Team Liquid ID, which also finished with a 12–4 record but took first place thanks to better tiebreakers, will face Bigetron by Vitality. The winner of this series will secure a place in the upper-bracket final.
Further playoff schedule
After the second-round matches, the teams will continue fighting for places in the final and grand final of the tournament.
November 6:
08:00 — lower-bracket semi-final.
13:00 — upper-bracket final.
November 7:
11:00 — lower-bracket final.
November 8:
11:00 — grand final.
The playoffs follow a hybrid format: the teams that finished in the top two positions in the regular season begin their campaigns in the second round, while the remaining four teams first compete for places in that stage. After losing in the upper bracket, a team moves to the lower bracket, where it still has a chance to continue its campaign. However, another defeat means elimination from the tournament.
All matches, except for the lower-bracket final and grand final, are played in a Best of 5 format. The two final matchups will be played in a Best of 7 format.
At the end of MPL Indonesia Season 18, the two best teams will receive slots at the M8 World Championship. Therefore, the upcoming matches will determine not only Indonesia's champion but also the teams that will represent the region at the world championship.
A reminder that NAVI eliminated B8 in the derby, then crushed Falcons on two maps: results of the third day of IEM Beijing 2026 and preview of the fourth day.