RRQ Kaito did what no MDL Philippines team has ever done before: sweep an entire season, and emerge on top.
That’s after RRQ Kaito won and denied ECHO Proud a 3-peat, 3-2, in the Grand Finals of MDL Philippines Season 3 – the first on-site playoffs for the Philippines’ academy league for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang officially sanctioned by MOONTON Games.
RRQ Kaito won all 9 games of their regular season in the MDL, which allowed them to go for a clean route towards the playoffs. They also won against Blacklist Academy in the semifinals to keep their winning ways intact, allowing them to secure the first grand finals spot.
RRQ Kaito won the first game in 12 minutes, with Denison “xNova” Gomez’s Chip pick being the difference maker. However, ECHO Proud took the mantle in Games 2 and 3 to show their dominant form, and force rubber matches.
James “Jeymz” Gloria and Jermaine “Aizawa” Fernandez made great plays for the Orcas, which took the game to match point. Their 2nd round encounter with RRQ lasted 21 minutes, while their quick 3rd round encounter lasted 11 minutes.
By Game 4, it became a nearly-20 minute affair that nearly saw ECHO Proud win a 3-peat, thanks to a four-man takedown of the RRQ Kaito squad. However, Cymond “Cy” Torres’s Natan pick defended the Kingdom’s side, forcing a retreat from the Orcas and allowing RRQ to punish the Orcas for the assault.
With their game momentum still hot, RRQ Kaito bested ECHO Proud in the deciding final match, which they won in a little under 11 minutes, thanks to a strong draft integrating the Global Ban and Pick System, which was also first implemented in this season.
xNova eventually won the Finals MVP nod, as RRQ Kaito’s team: Cy, Gabriel “Denjiro” Guinto, Carl “Minguin” Gallantes, and Season MVP Edferdz “Ferdz” Fernandez scored awards for the team.
This is RRQ Kaito’s first-ever MDL title under the guise of head coach Paulo “Pauloexpert” Munsayac.
RRQ Kaito’s next tournament to conquer will be the 32-team Snapdragon Pro Series APAC Open Finals, where they will pit their skills against some of Southeast Asia’s best teams.
The team also won the lion’s share of the MDL Philippines Season 3 US$20,000 prize pool.
