SEPANG: Malaysia will face an early setback at the M7 World Championship after local rivals Selangor Red Giants (SRG.OG) and CG Esports were drawn to clash in the opening round of the Swiss Stage in Jakarta, with the losing team set to drop to a 0-1 record.
The Swiss Stage of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) world championships will run from Jan 10-17, followed by the knockout rounds from Jan 18-25.
Teams must record three wins to advance, either by finishing 3-0, 3-1 or 3-2.
All Swiss matches will be played in a best-of-one format before the competition switches to best-of-three for the elimination matches, immediately raising the stakes for Malaysia’s two contenders.
The all-Malaysia clash means one national representative will begin the world championships on the back foot, a scenario both camps described as unfortunate given their ambitions on the global stage.
CG are making their M-Series debut and head coach Fikri Aiman “Rainn” Khidzir said his side had no choice but to accept the draw, while acknowledging the stature of their opponents.
“Of course, we respect SRG.OG because right now they are one of the title contenders and one of the favourites to become champion,” said Fikri, when met at Kuala Lumpur International Airport during the official send-off ceremony.
“Whatever it is, from CG’s side, we just want to focus on ourselves, give our best and see how far we can go in this M7.”
Also present at the ceremony were MOONTON Games head of business development for eSports in Malaysia Krystal Tan, and Malaysia Esports Federation president Naim Al-Amin Saharudin.
SRG.OG head coach Michael Angelo “Arcadia” Bocado echoed the disappointment at meeting so early, suggesting the match-up would have better served Malaysian eSports at a later stage of the tournament.
“It’s unfortunate that we have to face each other in the first round of the Swiss Stage,” said Arcadia.
“It could have been better if we met in the playoffs or even the grand finals, but it is what it is. We just have to prepare well and make sure we get a good start.”
The opening tie also carries added edge as a rematch of the MPL MY Season 16 grand final, which SRG.OG won 4-0, although Arcadia preferred to stress the dangers of the Swiss format.
“It’s going to be a best of one and that can be tricky,” he said. “We just need to make sure our gameplay and our draft are on point.”
SRG.OG endured a difficult Swiss campaign at the M6 World Championships in Kuala Lumpur last year, where the unforgiving best-of-one format left little room for error.
They had to wait until their final Swiss match to confirm qualification for the knockout stage with a 3-2 record before eventually finishing third overall, an experience Arcadia believes has strengthened his team.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
