Tears, trials, triumphs mark M5 World Championship

MANILA, Philippines – The M5 World Championship concluded with a historic win by Filipino squad AP.Bren. Not only did coach Francis "Ducky" Glindro and players Angelo "Pheww" Arcangel and David "FlapTzy" Canon win their second world championship title, the squad was also the first to clinch an international Mobile Legends Bang Bang (MLBB) tournament in front of a home crowd.

But aside from the historic moment, many tales surrounded the more than two-week tournament as Mobile Legends Bang Bang celebrated a milestone fifth anniversary in competitive esports. Here are just a few that captured the hearts of fans here and across the globe.

In any competition, there will always be those who stand proud in victory, and those who are left in the shadows in defeat.

Stories of heartbreaks were on hand during the M5, especially in the knockout stages as teams were eliminated one by one.

Myanmar’s Burmese Ghouls and Turkey’s Fire Flux Esports saw early elimination even after showing promise during the group stages, with the Turkey squad even finishing as the top of their group. The elimination saw tears of lost opportunities flow as the two teams had been eyed as strong contenders, with Burmese Ghouls making a comeback since their M2 runner-up finish and Fire Flux Esports’ steady rise in MLBB dominance since their M3 run.

Geek Fam Indonesia and Cambodia’s See You Soon were next to see the chopping block, and with their elimination came tears after kissing goodbye their region’s hope for the M-Series. Geek Fam Indonesia’s run had been one for the books. Their runner-up finish in MPL Indonesia has been the team’s best in the league’s 12 seasons, and they had hoped to make history once more in M5. But it was not meant to be. Cambodia’s See You Soon finally broke the region’s group stage exits, making it to the top six and was aiming to reach the Final Four. But their efforts were thwarted in the last turn as European champions’ Deus Vult completed a reverse sweep to eliminate the Cambodian champions.

But tears of what-ifs weren’t the only ones that flowed during the tournament, as tears of pride and joy washed through the audience as fans bore witness to the emergence of