Minana EVOS and Blacklist International inch closer to securing the last two playoffs spot, while the stakes could not get any higher for TNC and Smart Omega in the last two weeks of MPL Philippines' regular season.
Playoffs dreams are on the line in the next two weeks.
By the end of MPL Philippines Week 5, four teams have already booked their tickets to the playoffs.
AP.Bren finished at the top of the standings with 27 points, followed by ONIC Philippines with 24 points, ECHO with 22 points, and RSG with 19 points.
It's not yet a done deal for the top four teams though. They still need tokeep their nose on the grindstone to secure an advantage in the upper bracket.
The gauntlet-format playoffs will give the top three teams a direct berth to the Upper Bracket Semifinals. The second and third seeded teams will face each other in a best-of-five.
Meanwhile, the fifth and sixth seeded teams will compete in the first single round elimination.
The winner will then challenge the fourth seeded team in the second round.
The eventual victor will then earn the right to face the top seed.
It is for the fifth and sixth slots that the bottom four teams--Minana EVOS, Blacklist International, Smart Omega, and TNC Pro Team--are fighting for.
Minana EVOS recently suffered back-to-back losses against Blacklist International and AP.Bren. But it is not over for yet if they manage to win the upcoming matches to improve their 14 points and 4-6 win-loss slate.
Since Season 10, Minana EVOS has failed to enter the playoffs, but they could snap this three-season curse.
Refusing to repeat their unfortunate Season 9 run, Blacklist International is currently gripping tight at the sixth spot and is still in playoff contention with a 4-6 match record and 13 points.
The Codebreakers still have a window of opportunity to secure a playoff slot.
If TNC and Omega fail to stay perfect in all of their remaining matches while Blacklist wins a match, a playoff slot is guaranteed for the Codebreakers.
It's not looking good for the bottom two teams though.
Smart Omega is currently in seventh place with only one win and nine losses.
They cannot afford any mistakes at this point in the competition, as the squad could be eliminated from playoff contention for the first time in franchise history.
In this crucial stretch, Omega has transferred esteemed roamer Joshua "Ch4knu" Mangilog from the MLBB Development League (MDL) back to the MPL. He will replace Louis "Louis" Ariola in hopes of earning enough points to book a playoff spot.
TNC is also in a tight spot as the eighth place team with a similar 1-9 record. Any loss in upcoming games means the squad won’t enter the postseason again for four consecutive seasons.
MPL Philippines will resume on April 26 for Week 6 action.