Image: GosuGamers
The Filipino domination continues in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang esports for a fifth-straight year.
Fnatic ONIC Philippines have been crowned champions of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) M6 World Championship after they defeated 
Team Liquid ID in the tournament's best-of-seven grand finals on Sunday (December 15).
With their victory in M6, Fnatic ONIC PH have given the Philippines its fifth-straight MLBB world title – an incredible run of dominance by a single country in one esports title last seen since South Korea's reign over StarCraft.
Branded as one of the strongest teams in M6, Fnatic ONIC PH’s road to the grand finals was one of the smoothest runs in the history of the M World Championship series. The Filipino juggernauts were seeded directly to the M6 Swiss Stage after winning the MLBB Professional League (MPL) Philippines Season 14.
Fnatic ONIC PH didn’t drop a single series in the Swiss Stage. They beat Team Liquid ID in their first encounter in round one before smashing Cambodia's 
CFU Gaming in round two. Finally, they defeated North America's 
BloodThirstyKings, 2-1, in round three to qualify for the Knockout Stage.
In the first round of the Knockout Stage's upper bracket, Fnatic ONIC PH met another tournament favourite in 
Selangor Red Giants and completely dismantled them in a 2-0 rout. They were finally challenged by Myanmar's 
Falcon Esports in the upper bracket semifinals, but still emerged victorious after a thrilling five games. The upper bracket finals then saw a rematch between Fnatic ONIC PH and Team Liquid ID, with the Filipino squad claiming victory after four games to become the first team in the grand finals.
In stark contrast to Fnatic ONIC PH, Team Liquid ID's M6 journey was a veritable rollercoaster. As the MPL Indonesia Season 14 champions, they also started their campaign in the Swiss Stage but quickly found out it wouldn't be smooth sailing to the grand finals.
After losing to Fnatic ONIC PH in the first round, Team Liquid ID quickly recovered their momentum with a round two win against 
KeepBest Gaming from China. However, they were halted once again after suffering another loss in round three, this time courtesy of Russia's 
Team Spirit. But when it mattered the most, Team Liquid ID managed to clutch out back-to-back crucial victories. They first swept the other Filipino representatives in 
Aurora Gaming, 2-0, to avoid elimination in round four before routing BloodThirstyKings, 2-0, to secure their spot in the Knockout Stage.
In the Knockout Stage, Team Liquid ID regained their form with a stunning 2-0 victory in a rematch against Team Spirit. They then outlasted 
RRQ Hoshi, 3-2, in a rematch of the MPL Indonesia Season 14 grand finals in the upper bracket semifinals. After dropping to the lower bracket finals following their second loss to Fnatic ONIC PH, Team Liquid ID soundly swept Selangor Red Giants to face their Filipino rivals for a third and final time in the championship round.
Right from the get-go, Fnatic ONIC PH put pedal to the metal as they took their signature heros in Suyou, Luo Yi, and Bruno. Team Liquid ID relied on Granger and a surprise Lilia pick to try to throw off their opponents. However, focus and discipline was the name of the game for Fnatic ONIC PH as 
King “K1ngkong” Perez and Duane “Kelra” Pillas dominated the first game to give the Filipino juggernauts their first win of the grand finals after 14 minutes.
The second game showed a different side of the Filipino champions as they doubled down on their counter-play, with their Fredrinn pick becoming the bane of 
Favian “Faviannn” Putra's Joy. The peel that he provide combined with Kelra's out of this world positioning was enough to secure the second game for Fnatic ONIC PH in just under 12 minutes of action.
In game three, it seemed as if Fnatic ONIC PH tried to test the limits of their composition with how they drafted. They picked a magic damage-heavy composition and left Borris James “Brusko” Parro's Gatot Kaca as the only tank in their team. With no protection, Faviann on Joy had the time of his life as he assassinated his opponent one by one and gave Team Liquid ID the win after 13 minutes.
The pivotal fourth game of the grand finals saw the return of Kelra's Beatrix and K1ngkong's Joy. But the star of this game was Frince Miguel “Super Frince” Ramirez on Valentina. His prowess on the hero was on full display, as he copied not only Luo Yi's Diversion but also Fredrinn's Energy Eruption to get a three man taunt to open Team Liquid ID's base and secure a commanding 3-1 series lead for Fnatic ONIC PH in a 10-minute rout.
The fifth game was a back-and-forth affair between the two sides. Kelra picked Irithel for Fnatic ONIC PH, combining with K1ngkong's Alpha to form a deadly duo. Meanwhile, Team Liquid ID picked a more balanced composition with Granger, Zhuxin, and Hayabusa. In the early game, Fnatic ONIC PH held the momentum with their lineup's formidable crowd control abilities, however, Team Liquid ID struck back with Yehezkiel's Zhuxin exerting his own control.
But when it mattered the most, Kelra simply became a beast with his Irithel striking down every member of Team Liquid ID who were controlled by the Alpha and Yve. In the final moments of the game, the Gold Standard tried to outsmart their Indonesian opponents when he sieged their base solo while his teammates grabbed the enemy's attention. His damage wasn't enough to end it, but it was enough to put Team Liquid ID's final hope on such low health that one strike was all it took. And with one final wave, Kelra ended the hopes of Team Liquid ID after a wild 14 minutes.
Fnatic ONIC PH thus claimed ultimate victory in the M6 World Championship with a 4-1 victory over Team Liquid ID. While the Indonesian powerhouse managed to take a game off their Filipino opponents, it was clear that Fnatic ONIC PH were in a class of their own as they claimed a fifth-straight MLBB world title for the Philippines.
