Introduction
The Group Stage of the Malaysia Esports League started in October and has just concluded following its 24th day of matches. The top performing teams will now advance to the Playoffs, where they will compete for the title of Malaysia’s greatest eSports team.
The Format
Sixteen teams entered the Group Stage from qualifiers which took place across Malaysia. Nearly all of Malaysia’s 13 states held a qualifier, with each winner securing a spot in the MESL event. However, the states of Kelantan and Terengganu were merged into a single qualifier as were the states of Kedah and Perlis. The runner-up in Selangor state was permitted to attend the main event while Kuala Lumpur held a separate qualifier, with the winner and runner-up each earning a place. Lastly, two qualifying spots were available online.
The teams were then divided into four groups of four. Each team faced the others within their group in a double round robin format, with each match being best-of-two. The top two teams from each group advanced to the Playoffs, while the lower two were eliminated.
The Results
The four teams that finished on top of each group did not lose a single match throughout the entire contest. Earning three points per win and one point per draw, Team HighGround stood above the rest, securing 34 points from their 12 matches in Group D. With 11 games won and just one tied after their slight stumble against Penang Hunter, HighGround are certainly one of the favourites for this event. Ranked as the world’s 58th best team (and 12th in their region), they should not be taken lightly, and with players like LaNcE, who is well-known throughout Malaysia for his dominance when playing Doom, defeating them won’t be easy.
Their competition largely comes in the form of Geek Fam and Fire Dragoon. Both of these well-established teams earned an impressive 32 points, with 10 victories and two draws in the Group Stage. In terms of competitive history, these two are the ones to beat, with a respectable record in the pro scene thus far.
Both of these top Malaysian teams are also on a hot streak lately and so present a real danger in the Playoffs. Fire Dragoon have earned almost $10,000 in prize money to date, $4,000 of which coming from their 5-8th place finish at the World Electronic Sports Games APAC Finals, which cemented them as a prominent outfit in the SEA scene. KaNG, one of the team’s top players, has made quite a splash with his off-lane Axe, the character and position with which he has become associated over the course of his career.
Meanwhile, Geek Fam, who were only founded in 2016, have attained just under $65,000 in earnings, thanks largely to victory at the Asia Pacific Predator League earlier this month. This was in large part due to ChYuan, perhaps best known for his mid-lane skills with Queen of Pain.
New Beginning were the lowest-scoring group winners. With 30 points to their name thanks to their nine wins and three ties, they remained well ahead of most of the competition though and could spring a surprise against the aforementioned trio with slightly better records. With a versatile and talented player like KYxY, who has such a diverse pool of heroes to draw from and an impressive competitive history from his days in Team Orange, they absolutely should not be discounted.
In the 5-8th place slot and thus also qualifying for the next stage, there stands Team Flash with an 8-2-2 record, 818 Esports at 7-3-2, MOBILE GIRL at 4-4-4 and CCNC.Reborn at 3-6-3. These teams seem to pale in comparison to those in the top four, but Team Flash are worthy of note, finishing as they did in fifth place overall with their eight wins. Alongside their impressive score, the team boasts star player Xtinct, one of the most experienced and capable captains and players in the SEA region. Famed for his mastery over micro-heavy heroes such as Chen, he was most prominent from 2011-13 when playing for Orange. Despite this, he remains one of the most outstanding players at this tournament and may just drive his team to victory.
Finally, Team 5ive, Penang Hunter, RH.PIMS Fan club, Gizmo Gaming, CR1 Stratos, Nz Gaming, NFG Esports and Never Thought have all been eliminated after finishing in the bottom eight places. Some of these teams performed well enough (the lowest-scoring qualifying team (CCNC.Reborn) earned 15 points whilst the highest scoring losing team (Team 5ive) earned 11), but a couple went home with no wins to their name, showing the disparity in skill and experience on this scene.
Conclusion
With around $82,000 on the line, this tournament could give a huge break to any one of these little-known teams. With Team HighGround as the top performing side in the Group Stage, they seem to be the ones to beat, but when it comes to facing down other professional outfits, few in this pool can match Geek Fam’s experience. Many believe they are the favourites, and it’s easy to see why, but when so little is widely known about these teams, it could still be anyone’s game.
