MPL Indonesia Season 15 Week 2: Flawless from RRQ Hoshi, awful from ONIC

The second week of MPL Indonesia showed polar opposite fates for RRQ Hoshi and ONIC in the Regular Season.

Indonesian Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) powerhouse RRQ Hoshi's perfect start continued in Week 2 of the MLBB Professional League (MPL) Indonesia Season 15 after a flawless win over last season's champions, Team Liquid ID. Not only did they record a flawless victory, the King of Kings stunned the world with two shockingly quick wins over the cavalry: 11 minutes in game one and just nine in game two.

Meanwhile, ONIC continued to struggle in MPL Indonesia, losing against Geek Fam ID in the second week of the Regular Season. ONIC failed to regain their momentum after winning their second game in the league. Ultimately, the Geeks turned the series against ONIC to secure their first win in the tournament.

Here is the MPL Indonesia Season 15 Regular Season standings at the end of Week 1:

1. RRQ Hoshi (3-0) +6 Game difference (GF)
2. Alter Ego Esports (3-1) +2 GF
3. EVOS (3-1) +2 GF
4. Bigetron Esports (2-2) +2 GF
5. Dewa United Esports (2-1) +1 GF
6. Team Liquid ID (2-2) 0 GF 
7. Geek Fam ID (1-2) -3 GF
8. ONIC (0-3) -4 GF
9. Natus Vincere (0-4) -6 GF

Natus Vincere: New name, same ol' result

The legacy of Natus Vincere (NAVI) in other esports titles is undoubtedly rich and revered. No doubt, when they announced their inclusion in the MPL Indonesia Season 15, everybody was on high alert. Even more so when they recruited some of the most talented players from the MLBB Development League (MDL) Indonesia, like Muhammad “xMagic” Andika Ramadhan and Michael “Xyve” Richi. However, the caution from other teams seems to be unwarranted based on NAVI's most recent outing.

With four losses in four games, the teams whose name means “Born to Win” seemed unable to pick a single one up. Furthermore, they will face EVOS and Bigetron Esports, two teams that are neck-to-neck with each other, in Week 3 of the tournament. Both needed a win in Week 3 to carry the momentum to dethrone RRQ Hoshi in Week 4, when both of them will meet the King of Kings.

Week 3 will be NAVI's final test to prove that the boys in yellow are worthy of playing in the big league.

Alter Ego's Xepher continues to impress

Alter Ego Esports once again proved why Kenny “Xepher” Deo was the right choice for the team's coach. After their strong wins in Week 2 of MPL Indonesia Season 15, the team looked dangerous and hungry for glory. The team, formerly known to be erratic and chaotic in both drafts and gameplay, now showed their disciplined side in the Land of Dawn. 

The seemingly out-of-left-field Hanabi pick is long gone; their draft now showed cohesion between all lanes and a willingness to learn from their mistake. 

To name one, in the second game against NAVI, Xepher picked Khaleed as a roamer to provide a peel for Alter Ego's backline. However, they also picked Gatot Kaca, who can also offer a peel, which makes them lack the damage to win the game. On the following day, Xepher picked Khaleed once again. However, this time, he also picked Cici to provide more damage and a hero who benefited greatly from the Khaleed's peel in Pharsa. The strategy worked, and Alter Ego got a 16-minute win against EVOS.

Alter Ego will meet RRQ Hoshi and Geek Fam ID next. It will be exciting to see whether the team can perform brilliantly against the in-form King of Kings.

MPL Indonesia Season 15 will continue with Week 3 on 21 March. ONIC will face Dewa United in the opening match, while the Supriadi "Watt" Putra-led team will face Alter Ego to end the week.