KUALA LUMPUR, 26 May – A new star rises in The Land of Dawn. TODAK Legion has been crowned the champion of the inaugural Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Academy League Malaysia (MAL MY) after defeating HomeBois Syndicate 4-1 in the Grand Finals today (26 May). Their victory in the summit clash was witnessed by hundreds of fans in the Playoffs venue of Sunway Velocity Mall. TODAK Legion's victory earns them the lion's share of the USD 20,000 prize pool.
Organised by MOONTON Games and IO Esports, MAL MY was launched this year and functions as the developmental leg of the Malaysian Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) esports league system – after MLBB Professional League (MPL) Malaysia. MAL MY aims to build the esports talent pipeline in the nation by providing young players with a more structured entry into the world of professional esports and prepares Malaysia to host the M6 World Championship in December, MLBB's most prestigious international tournament.
TODAK Legion Marched To Victory
TODAK Legion began the series the more positive of the teams, racing to a 2-0 lead in the Best-of-Seven (BO7) clash. The first game was a closely-fought affair, with hardly anything to separate both teams. That changed around the 15th-minute mark, where Muhamad "Rival" Alif Akmal's timely Mega Kill allowed TODAK Legion to charge through the middle lane to victory. The second game was a one-sided affair which saw the new champions maintain control throughout, ending the game with a whole 10k gold lead.
HomeBois Syndicate rallied in the third game, snowballing their way to victory after catching TODAK Legion off guard. However, a comeback was not in the stars, as TODAK Legion ruthlessly took games four and five to claim the crown.
In the post-match press conference, TODAK's Chief Operating Officer, Roslan Rashid, said: "We're grateful to be the first champions of MAL MY, despite not being the favourites. Our success is the result of our experience in the competitive ecosystem [compared to other teams], plus our commitment and dedication to develop talents from our academy."
Ferocious Barracuda Esports Sink DXORIGINZ
Barracuda Esports will retain their MPL Malaysia position next season after reverse sweeping DXORIGINZ 3-2 in the "Challenger vs Defender" match. Following a disappointing 9th-place finish in MPL Malaysia Season 13, Barracuda Esports looked all ready to relinquish their MPL Malaysia spot to DXORIGINZ after losing their first two games in the Best-of-Five (BO5) series. However, the oceanic predators showed their irrepressible spirit to come roaring back from the third game to edge out DXORIGINZ, who had earned the right to challenge Barracuda Esports for their MPL Malaysia spot after their 2nd-placed Challenger Conference finish during the MAL MY Regular Season.
Barracuda Esports' Owner, Norshahidah "Capt Sha" Zulkifli, said: "We're extremely grateful to be able to keep our slot for next season. We're still learning and improving our gameplay, and we hear you – our fans. Stay tuned for our best play next season."
Devin Chan, Esports Manager at MOONTON Games, said: "Our objective for MAL MY is to build the esports talent pipeline in Malaysia by giving young and talented players a more structured and competitive entry into the world of professional esports. We have comfortably achieved this and more. In fact, we are currently witnessing a Renaissance for national esports. With the M6 World Championship in November rapidly approaching, we are confident that our ecosystem is more ready than ever to challenge for honours, especially now that we have a strong foundation in MAL MY."
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