Two-time champions? Two times the skin for AP.Bren as they select Brody for the M5 World Championship skin. And for the first time ever, an M-series Finals MVP will be co-designing his skin.
Two-time champs, two times the skin.
Philippine team AP.Bren will be getting two signature skins after winning the M5 World Championship, the world's biggest Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) tournament held in the country last December 2023.
MLBB developer MOONTON Games has officially announced that AP.Bren has chosen Brody to get the M5 Champion skin.
"We feel that Brody has been a big part of our success in the M5 series. This hero has helped our team consistently and ultimately helped retain the PH era of MLBB. We want this hero to represent our team’s success inside the game and for our fans to be part of that success by owning the skin and enjoying it," said AP.Bren director Jab Escutin.
The squad went 7-0 with Brody in M5.
And for the first time in the M-series, MOONTON Games is granting the Finals MVP the opportunity to co-design a signature skin.
For David "FlapTzy" Canon, that happens to be Paquito--the MLBB hero inspired by eight-division world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao.
"This is the first FMVP skin in MLBB’s history and I am very honored to be the first M series MVP to receive his very own FMVP Skin. I like Paquito because I feel that he represents my personality as a player. He is very aggressive to protect his teammates but also very focused on the different objectives that the team needs to win," said the veteran EXP laner.
Paquito was chosen seven times by AP.Bren in M5 and won with him six times.
Each M-Series champion is given the chance to choose a hero of their preference for a championship skin as a mark of their legacy.
M1 champion Indonesian team Evos Legends chose the mage Harith.
AP.Bren, then known as Bren Esports, selected assassin Lancelot after winning M2.
Despite some controversy, fellow Filipino squad Blacklist International (M3) stood by their decision to pick healer-support hero Estes.
Meanwhile, the third Pinoy champion team ECHO (M4) went for the fighter Chou.
AP.Bren's M5 campaign
AP.Bren clinched the M5 World Championship after an intense 4-3 victory over Indonesia's ONIC Esports at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Their M5 journey is one for the books, making history as the only team to have two M-series titles.
The Hive topped Group C with a clean 3-0 record. AP.Bren sent See You Soon of Cambodia and Geek Fam Indonesia to the lower bracket during the knockout stage.
Despite a dominating run in the first two matches, ONIC swept the upper bracket finals at the expense of AP.Bren.
That meant the lower bracket finals was a rematch of the MPL-PH Season 12 finals between AP.Bren and Blacklist International.
The Hive decoded the Code Breakers via sweep and headed for a rematch against ONIC.
In the opening game of the grand finals showdown, the Hive gained the upper hand over the Sky Kings as jungler Kyle “KyleTzy” Sayon delivered a flawless 3/0/4 KDA on Fredrinn.
However, ONIC Esports bounced back in the second game as midlaner Gilang “Sanz” activated and delivered a 4/0/10 KDA performance on Gord.
The Filipino squad gained their groove again in the third and fourth games, but ONIC Esports turned the tides with comfort hero picks in the fifth and sixth games to extend the best-of-seven match.
In the do-or-die Game Seven, AP.Bren drafted a crowd control-heavy lineup with FlapTzy’s Khaleed, KyleTzy’s Fredrinn, and Owgwen’s Edith in response to ONIC’s teamfight-oriented draft.
AP.Bren found the key to victory after catching Kairi "Kairi" Rayosdelsol's Baxia in the middle lane. The Lord objective was available and uncontested, yet AP.Bren proceeded to run down the four remaining members of ONIC.
Even without the Lord marching by their side, AP.Bren pressured the open middle and bottom lane to seal the victory in the best-of-seven grand finals.
AP.Bren took home $300,000 and David “FlapTzy” Canon was hailed as the grand finals MVP.
The skins are expected to launch in September 2024.