Day 5 of the M4 World Championship for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang was filled to the brim with intense matches between Falcon Esports and Incendio Supremacy from the lower bracket and RRQ Hoshi and Blacklist International from the upper bracket.

The teams competed in a Best of 5 format, showcasing the increasing competitiveness of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang esports scene. Despite being a debut team, Incendio Supremacy managed to advance to the Top 8, surprising Falcon Esports with their strategy. However, Falcon Esports managed to make a comeback in the last two matches and eliminated Incendio Supremacy.

On the other hand, RRQ Hoshi and Blacklist International have a history of the unresolved rivalry. RRQ Hoshi has never lost to any team except for Blacklist International, who has consistently defeated them in the M3 World Championship and MPL Invitational 2021. This match marked the third consecutive defeat for RRQ Hoshi against Blacklist International.

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Falcon Esports vs. Incendio Supremacy

The opening match of the Lower Bracket Knockout Stage in the M4 World Championship was intense, as Falcon Esports and Incendio Supremacy fought fiercely. The stakes were high, as the losing team would be eliminated from the tournament. This was the third time these two teams had faced each other, having previously met in the Group Stage and Tiebreaker phases, with each team having one win and one loss. After a long match, Falcon Esports emerged victorious with a narrow 3-2 victory, eliminating Incendio Supremacy from the M4 World Championship.

Game 1

Incendio Supremacy once again selected the meta healer in their hero composition, but this time APEX47 used Rafael as a Roamer instead of his usual Estes, as it was banned by Falcon Esports. Incendio Supremacy’s other heroes were Yve, Benedetta, Brody, and Martis. Falcon Esports tried to counter this by selecting Kadita, Gloo, Beatrix, Ling, and Kaja. From the start of the match, Incendio Supremacy was under heavy pressure as their Jungler was killed by First Blood by JustiN on Kadita. This dominance allowed Falcon Esports to maintain a lead in terms of kills, and also protected Turtle frequently. Falcon Esports was more confident in the mid-game and continued to launch non-stop attacks against their opponents. Despite Incendio Supremacy securing the Lord, Falcon Esports’ objective play allowed them to secure their first point at 14 minutes,

Game 2

In the second match, Incendio Supremacy began to move away from its meta healer. Now, these two teams actually use the Jungler Assassin meta. Incendio Supremacy’s draft picks were Kaja, Lylia, Hayabusa, Beatrix, and Yu Zhong. Meanwhile, Falcon Esports secured Grock, Lapu-Lapu, Fanny, Yve, and Karrie. On this occasion, Incendio Supremacy appeared so dominant.

They managed to excel in terms of objectivity. Even though they were held to a draw after the first fight for the Lord managed to change the situation. Since that moment, Incendio Supremacy has immediately focused on the split push turret. However, because Falcon Esports’ defence is so strong, of course, it becomes separate homework for Incendio Supremacy to be able to end the match. The climax occurred when Falcon Esports’ Kenn’s Fanny succeeded in seizing the third Lord over Incendio Supremacy.

The Turkish representative began to overthrow the opposing players one by one. It didn’t take long for Incendio Supremacy to immediately take advantage of the gap by trying to destroy the opponent’s main turret. As a result, they closed the match in the 19th minute and equalized.

Game 3

The third match was highly contested as the score was tied 1-1, making both teams more determined to secure the next win. Naomi the Roamer of Falcon Esports was able to secure Franco as his flagship hero and was supported by Yve, Beatrix, Ling, and Gloo. Incendio Supremacy, on the other hand, selected Leomord, Karrie, Atlas, Lunox, and Grock.

Naomi’s Franco was able to tear apart Incendio Supremacy’s defence. His precise skills were a formidable threat to the Turkish team. However, Incendio Supremacy countered this by using pick-off tactics, successfully eliminating Falcon Esports’ heroes one by one.

Due to this playstyle, Incendio Supremacy was able to gain the lead. They played objectively and limited Falcon Esports’ attack area. The match reached its climax when APEX47’s Atlas was able to lock down three opponents and was executed by his teammates. With the help of the third Lord, Incendio Supremacy easily secured their second point. This victory gave them the temporary lead with a score of 2-1.

Game 4

The fourth match was a crucial one for both teams, as a loss for Falcon Esports would result in their elimination from the M4 World Championship. However, the Myanmar representative was determined not to go home and performed dominantly. By the 10th minute, Falcon Esports had a gold lead of 7,000. Despite Incendio Supremacy using the meta healer, it had little impact on the match. yellowflash‘s Gloo and Kenn’s Granger played exceptionally well, giving Falcon Esports more confidence. Incendio Supremacy struggled to keep up and could only defend while waiting for a mistake from Falcon Esports. The climax came when Falcon Esports secured the second Lord and eliminated two opposing players. This allowed them to end the match in the 14th minute with a kill difference of 12 to 2, resulting in a win for Falcon Esports.

Game 5

The intense battle between the two teams led to a fifth match. In this match, Falcon Esports selected Lunox, Lapu-Lapu, Valentina, Chou, and Ling as their heroes, while Incendio Supremacy chose Gloo, Clint, Joy, Hayabusa, and Lylia.

At the start of the match, Incendio Supremacy managed to set the tempo against Falcon Esports and often had a gold lead. However, when Kenn and his Ling succeeded in securing the second Turtle, Falcon Esports became more confident. This allowed them to play more objectively by destroying turrets and stealing the opponent’s jungle. Additionally, securing the third Lord further limited Incendio Supremacy’s space.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Falcon Esports immediately escorted the Lord to attack Incendio Supremacy’s defence. Valentina’s Triple Kill allowed Falcon Esports to destroy the enemy’s main base and secure the victory.

With this defeat, Incendio Supremacy’s journey in the M4 World Championship ends at a placement of 7th-8th. Meanwhile, Falcon Esports continues on to face RRQ Hoshi in the next round, scheduled for Friday, January 13 at 12:00 PM (UTC+8).

RRQ Hoshi vs. Blacklist International

The final match of the Knockout Stage of the M4 World Championship on 11 January featured a showdown between long-time rivals RRQ Hoshi and Blacklist International. Both teams were determined not to be relegated to the lower bracket, leading to a tight and intense match that went all the way to a fifth and deciding game. RRQ Hoshi managed to take the first match, but Blacklist International responded by winning the second match with the same hero.

With the score tied, both teams fought fiercely in the following matches. The meta healer chosen by Blacklist International proved to be a difficult challenge for RRQ Hoshi, with OhMyV33NUS’s Estes ultimately tearing through their defences in the fifth match. This resulted in Blacklist International advancing to the Upper Bracket Final, while RRQ Hoshi moved on to face Falcon Esports on 13 January. Blacklist International will await the winner of the match between ONIC Esports and ECHO.

Game 1

The first match of the upper bracket semifinals was intense. RRQ Hoshi chose a team composition built around Alberttt‘s Fanny, with VYN on Hilda, Skylar on Claude, Clayyy on Faramis, and R7 on Joy. Blacklist International, on the other hand, selected a meta-healing team composition, with OhMyV33NUS on Estes, Edward on Gloo, Hadji on Pharsa, Oheb on Brody, and Wise on Fredrinn.

Blacklist International was aware of Fanny’s potential as a problem for them, so they made efforts to disrupt Alberttt’s movements as RRQ Hoshi’s jungler. Additionally, Estes’ ability to slow down opponents made it difficult for Alberttt to launch attacks against Blacklist International. This caused RRQ Hoshi to fall behind in terms of gold, making it harder for them to break through Blacklist International’s defences. However, during a struggle for the Lord in the 19th minute, RRQ Hoshi was able to take out several opposing heroes, leaving only two players. Seizing the opportunity, RRQ Hoshi quickly pushed towards Blacklist International’s main base and successfully wiped them out, widening their lead and ending the match in the 20th minute.

Game 2

The second match of the upper bracket semifinals between RRQ Hoshi and Blacklist International ended in a surprise victory for Blacklist International. They used the same hero composition as their previous match, showing that their strategy was effective and could match their opponent’s toughness. RRQ Hoshi, on the other hand, picked Lancelot, Hilda, Karrie, Valentina, and Lapu-Lapu for the match. Blacklist International dominated the match, securing several objectives without much interference from RRQ Hoshi. They were able to close the game quickly, only 12 minutes, and tied the score 1-1.

Game 3

In the third match of the upper bracket semifinals, Blacklist International changed their strategy by not using their meta-healer and instead opting for a different team composition. They used heroes like Gloo, Claude, Valentina, Lolita and Fredrinn, while RRQ Hoshi tried to counter with heroes like Lunox, Fanny, Khufra, Grock, and Yve. Blacklist International took the initiative early on, taking control of objectives and limiting RRQ Hoshi’s movements. Despite the close match, with a tight gold difference, RRQ Hoshi was unable to withstand Blacklist International’s onslaught and ultimately lost the match, bringing the score to 2-1 in favour of Blacklist International.

Game 4

RRQ Hoshi picked Lunox for Clayyy, Yu Zhong for R7, Beatrix for Skylar, and Kaja for VYN. Blacklist International’s hero lineup included Pharsa for Hadji, Benedetta for Edward, Harith for Oheb, Aldous for Wise, and Estes for OhMyV33NUS.

In this match, RRQ Hoshi was able to easily secure Turtle and Lord. The climax of the game occurred in the 16th minute when RRQ Hoshi’s players successfully took out the opposing heroes one by one, leaving only Benedetta and Aldous. This allowed them to break through Blacklist International’s main base and tie the score, resulting in a fifth match.

Game 5

The fifth match between RRQ Hoshi and Blacklist International was highly anticipated and was even considered by some as an early finals. Both teams have high aspirations for the season, with RRQ Hoshi aiming for the crown and Blacklist International hoping to reclaim the title.

RRQ Hoshi secured heroes such as Ling for Alberttt, Kadita for Clayyy, Kaja for VYN, Yu Zhong for R7, and Beatrix for Skylar, while Blacklist International countered with Estes mainstay OhMyV33NUS, Pharsa for Hadji, Benedetta for Edward, Barats for Wise and Claude for Oheb.

RRQ Hoshi dominated in the early game, securing turtles and increasing their gold, but Blacklist International began to make a comeback. RRQ Hoshi’s bad decisions led to mistakes and Alberttt losing his purple buff, making him less flexible in team battles. This resulted in RRQ Hoshi’s movement space getting smaller. Even though they secured the fourth Lord, their two initiators VYN and R7 fell, providing an opportunity for Blacklist International to end the game. Blacklist International then attacked RRQ Hoshi’s base turret and closed the match in the 24th minute, securing the victory for them.