JAKARTA, INDONESIA - THE MPL: INVITATIONAL is no longer a tournament where Indonesian MLBB teams reign supreme as the Philippines was finally crowned as champions in the ONE Esports event.
Two major MPL PH rivals, RSG PH and ECHO PH clashed in the grand finals and it was the former who became champions, securing the series 3-1 in foreign territory.
The series featured a plethora of systematic teamfights from the Raiders, but it was also a series where Jonard Cedrix "Demonkite" Caranto made a statement given his overall performances, bagging him the finals MVP award.
Prior to his amazing MPLI run, Demonkite was playing for RSG's Malaysian MLBB team. With RSG PH jungler John "Irrad" Tuazon unavailable, the smiling demon was chosen to return home and play for the Philippine Raiders, a team where he first started his professional journey.
Raiding the oceans
From the beginning, Demonkite was on a rampage as he secured a maniac with his Martis in Game 1. It was a dominant victory for the Raiders as they secured 21 kills over ECHO's 6.
But that wasn't the only time where Demonkite's Martis took centerstage as Game 4 saw him garner a triple kill, which ultimately wiped out the Orcas.
While he was the star of the show, his teammates managed to step up. Game 3 saw Nathanael "Nathzz" Estrologo invade the backlines with his Yu Zhong pick. He even managed to surprise the opposition with his sudden entrances which synergizes well with the rest of the team.
Dylan "Light" Catipon likewise made a name in his series with his roamer picks, which even included his Guinevere. Even Arvie "Aqua" Antonio had a strong showing, highlighted in the final two games with his Valentina pick.
All of these created opportunities for Eman "EMANN" Sangco to engage.
Overall it was a perfect end for the Raiders' 2023 campaign as the team tried desperately to make a breakthrough in the international scene. Despite not reaching the MSC 2023 and M5 World Championship, RSG can keep their chin high for next year.
For their efforts in the MPLI, the Raiders will bring home $37,000 (Php2,000,000).
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