With MPL SG’s sixth season underway, we have been catching up with a few of the teams as they fight to reach the M5 World Championship.
Singapore’s Mobile Legends Professional League kicked off with its sixth season just this past weekend, as the teams began their journey to become the champions of the region. For the victor, not only would they obtain the spoils of war in their region, but they would also book their trip to the M5 World Championship later this year. With that in mind, we caught up with HomeBois Singapore to find out about their journey, difficulties, challenges, and plans for the season.
Coming into MPL SG Season 6, how does the team feel about their chances of reaching the M5 World Championship?
We believe that we have the best chance to reach our goal of winning MPL SG and achieving the M5 slot. With Coach Dale having joined us, we’re confident that he will be able to propel the team forward with his ideology and experience from overseas.
Is there a lot of pressure to perform well as a replacement for a team which has been around for some time?
Fortunately, we were able to secure seasoned veterans from other teams, which made this transition to MPL SG easier. We believe that, with enough training and under the guidance of our coach, we will be able to outperform most teams in MPL SG.
As a follow up to that, is there a lot of pressure on the team to perform as well as their MY counterpart?
With Dale’s departure from HomeBois MY, we definitely feel pressured to perform as our Malaysia counterpart was able to secure Top 3 in MPL MY with his aid. With his presence in the team, expectations from our fans have skyrocketed due to his popularity. We will do our best, alongside our Malaysian brothers, to both go to M5.
It was a great start to MPL SG Season 6 for HomeBois SG. What do you feel is the team’s greatest challenge for this season?
It was definitely a great start for us as it boosted our confidence as a team and hopefully, we will be able to ride the momentum all the way to the Playoffs. The biggest challenge right now is definitely communication. Our Indonesian boys feel uncomfortable communicating in English. However, as time goes, we are confident that we will be able to improve our communication and teamwork.
image courtesy of MPL SG
Which team do you feel is your biggest competitor in SG and why?
RSG SG will be our biggest competitor. Being the champions 3 times in a row is definitely not an easy feat. With the experience they have been getting from the international tournaments, they will continue to grow even stronger. However, we believe that we can stand toe-to-toe with them and will prove it when we meet in Week 2.
Philippines imports are quickly becoming a big aspect in many regions, with a few teams in SG now joining in. However, Indonesia is also a big part of the mix. How important is it to mix things up with these imports?
The idea of scouting players from Indonesia and the Philippines is born from the fact that these 2 countries have been dominating the MLBB scene for quite some time. We believe that, by mixing things up with the imports, we will be able to view MLBB from different angles. By bringing them to Singapore, we hope to learn from their training regimens, their talent, and their commitment. Hopefully, with their experience from their respective regions, we will be able to learn their secrets to winning tournaments.
How do the ID players fit into the SG playstyle and your lineup?
Having a Filipino coach helps everyone shift their own meta to follow the Philippine's meta. The reason is because the playstyle in the Philippines has been proven to yield better results as compared to Singapore’s playstyle. As the saying goes, “if you cannot beat them, join them”.
How influential are the picks and bans in regions such as PH, ID, and MY in SG’s MPL?
Picks and bans in other regions such as MPL MY, PH, and ID are definitely influential on us as other regions are more able to commit resources and time to learn and optimise gameplay. They can find new metas and playstyles within a short period, which helps us shape our approach too.
The Emblem system was recently reworked completely. How do you feel about the overhaul?
It feels very unique being able to blend emblems with each other; it was definitely a novel idea. Players will be able put on the thinking caps and show us their creativity.
Do you feel that SG has fallen away from being one of the strongest regions in MLBB as the game opens up to more regions across the globe?
We’ve observed that Singapore has fallen behind in terms of ranks. This may be due to the idea of being an esports player is not fully supported by many parents in Singapore. Thus, players in Singapore are not able to commit as fully as players from other regions.
Which region do you feel is the strongest right now?
The Philippines is the strongest region right now; it is supported by the fact that they won the IESF World Esports Championships recently. There are more Filipinos moving to Indonesia compared to the reverse.
If you could pick one team to go up against, who would it be?
We don’t have a team we specifically want to be up against. Our mentality will always be “one team at a time” – we will focus on whoever is in front of us.
Are there any heroes which you would like to see buffed or become part of the current meta?
Hopefully more buffs on assassin heroes and maybe some Marksmen heroes like Layla or Miya. We would love to see different picks in the game.
Following that, are there any heroes which you are tired of seeing in the meta?
Fredrinn. We’re tired of seeing the jungle sustain meta.
image courtesy of MPL SG
HomeBois SG continue their MPL SG Season 6 endeavours this coming weekend, on September 16 and 17, as they take on both RSG SG and Evil, respectively. With this being the second of four weeks of Regular Season action, Coach Dale and the HomeBois squad will be looking to take a comfortable spot atop the standings into the following week. We wish them all the best and thank the team for taking the time to chat with us.
