By: Jan Marcus Montevirgen
Smart Omega Empress has secured their spot in the semifinals of the 2024 Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women’s Invitational (MWI) after a thrilling 2-1 victory over Gaimin Gladiators x HomeGirls in the best-of-three quarterfinals on Friday at the AMAZON Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
In the decider, Rica “AMOREEE” Amores (Novaria) and Sheen “Shinoa” Perez (Melissa) did not allow the Malaysia representatives to spoil their party.
Both players delivered flawless performances, remaining untouchable throughout the decisive match.
The game was evenly matched at first, with both teams executing well in early team fights.
The turning point came during the 15th-minute Lord skirmish, where the Empresses secured a decisive three-to-one trade.
Capitalizing on this advantage, they marched down the bottom lane with the Lord, securing the series win.
AMOREEE and SHINOA ended Game 3 perfectly, recording six kills and 26 assists combined.
With this victory, Smart Omega Empress advance to face Riyannn and Gaylee’s Victory Song Gamers in the semifinals, scheduled for Saturday.
Omega, the Season 7 Female Pro League champions, initially struggled in Game 1, as Hanis Wahidah “Hanie” Mohamad Dashuki (Zhuxin) disrupted their gameplay, allowing the Malaysian squad to secure the first game.
However, the Empress bounced back in Game 2 with SHINOA (Ixia) delivering an outstanding performance.
SHINOA achieved the first-ever Savage in the MWI, ending the game with 5 kills, 12 assists, and 3 deaths, leveling the series at 1-1.
