There was a time when MPL Malaysia teams were merely participants on the international stage – insignificant figures in narratives dominated by Filipino teams or, on very rare occasions, Indonesian squads, on their way to glory.
They were considered afterthoughts, mere hurdles that were part of the competition and nothing more. Expectations were nonexistent, as they were viewed as stepping stones for stronger teams on their journey to victory.
This pattern persisted for years, starting with the Mobile Legends: Southeast Asia Cup – now known as the Mid-Season Cup – where Malaysia’s representatives struggled to break into the top four during the tournament’s first three editions from 2017 to 2019.
Their best performance came from Team Saiyan, which managed a modest 5th-6th place finish in 2017 – a respectable showing for a time when the game’s esports ecosystem was still in its infancy.
Things took a turn for the better during the inaugural M1 World Championship.
TODAK, the runner-up of MPL Malaysia and Singapore Season 4, made history by achieving the country’s highest finish in the M-Series and any MOONTON-organized international tournament at that time.
Led by a 21-year-old Zikry “Moon” Shamsuddin and a 19-year-old Muhammad “CikuGais” Fuad, TODAK navigated a tough field to secure a third-place finish, eventually falling to the Indonesian powerhouse RRQ Hoshi in the lower bracket finals.
It was a commendable campaign for a Malaysian squad yearning for redemption after a series of futile attempts in the past – a bronze medal that glittered like gold after countless setbacks.
The breakthrough seemed imminent. A spark had been ignited, proving that Malaysian ML:BB had the potential to challenge the very best on the international stage.
All they had to do was keep that fire burning. Unfortunately, they didn’t – not yet, at least.
Following TODAK’s impressive showing in the inaugural M-Series, Malaysian squads endured a string of disappointments on the international stage, failing to sustain the momentum in subsequent tournaments.
The once-promising spark flickered and faded as Malaysia’s representatives found themselves trapped in a cycle of near-misses and early exits.
But then came a pivotal shift in the game’s landscape: one that transformed the ML:BB esports ecosystem, especially in Malaysia, elevating it to new heights.
As other regions sought solutions to end the dominance of Filipino teams, ML:BB squads worldwide turned to the Philippines, signing players and coaches in hopes of leveling the playing field.
The trend began with ONIC Esports (now Fnatic ONIC ID), who brought in star jungler Kairi “Kairi” Rayosdelsol and coach Denver “Yeb” Miranda.
This marked the start of an era where relying solely on homegrown rosters was no longer the standard, with the Philippines becoming the go-to source for elite talent.
Malaysia soon followed suit, embracing the trend in a bid to bolster their rosters and end their long pursuit of international glory.
Notable Filipino players and coaches who made their mark in MPL Malaysia include Jaylord “Hate” Gonzales, Steve “Dale” Vitug, Jomari “Jowm” Pingol, Paolo “Pao” Villanueva, Robert “Hito” Candoy, Deomark “Mikko” Tabangay, Kenneth “Saxa” Fedelin, and John “Theo” Eusebio.
However, none had a greater impact than Selangor Red Giants’ head coach, Michael “Arcadia” Bocado.
Coming off a disappointing stint with RRQ Hoshi, Arcadia joined MPL Malaysia in Season 12 and immediately made his presence felt.
He guided the Red Giants to a bronze finish after the team had placed 5th-6th the previous season.
In the following season, he brought in Filipino standouts John “Innocent” Banal and Mark “Kramm” Rusiana to strengthen the lineup, which previously featured Red “Super Red” Bordeos and Archie “Pancake” Guevarra.
In just his second season, Arcadia accomplished the unthinkable – leading Selangor to its first-ever MPL Malaysia championship in Season 13.
Under his guidance, the Red Giants swept the tournament, becoming the first team to do so since TODAK in Season 6.
“The impact of Coach Arcadia is very, very big. His contributions to SRG are huge. What he brings to SRG totally changed the whole dimension of SRG, but in total, in Malaysia, in MPL MY,” said Selangor Red Giants CEO Simon Lim.
“His professionalism, his intelligence, and his understanding of the gameplay are top-notch.”
Yet, for those familiar with the league, this is where the story often ends.
No team had ever claimed an international crown after dominating the local stage, nor had any squad secured back-to-back MPL Malaysia titles.
But for Arcadia and Selangor, this was just the beginning.
In one of the most remarkable runs in the game’s history, Arcadia led Selangor to an unbeaten campaign at the 2024 MSC during the Esports World Cup, capped off by a thrilling seven-game victory over then-reigning world champions Falcons AP Bren in the finals.
The feat marked Malaysia’s first-ever international title and reignited hope for the nation’s ML:BB scene.
“The impact that Coach Arcadia and the two import players are definitely huge. They changed the whole dimension of the Malaysian Mobile Legends ecosystem. They brought in something that got Malaysians like, ‘Wow, we can actually do this. We can start winning,’ because, as you know, Malaysia has never won an international tournament,” Lim emphasized.
Arcadia’s legacy grew further as he led Selangor to historic back-to-back MPL Malaysia championships in Season 14, the first team in league history to achieve this feat.
The team also set a record-breaking 26-game winning streak in MOONTON-organized events, spanning from Season 13 to the latter stages of Season 14’s regular season.
His contributions extended beyond the domestic scene.
As head coach of Malaysia’s national team at the 2024 IESF World Championships, Arcadia guided them to a historic victory over SIBOL in the grand finals – a crowning moment for a nation that had long struggled to make its mark on the global stage.
“What Arcadia, Kramm, and Innocent brought is that they keep on breaking records. We were unbeaten for a long time in MPL MY. In Season 13, we were unbeaten at all. No one ever won back-to-back MPL titles; we won the MSC – we broke almost all the records. You can see the impact of the Filipinos in SRG,” Lim emphasized.
While Selangor’s stellar 2024 campaign ended with a third-place finish at the M6 World Championship after falling to Team Liquid ID in the lower bracket finals, their journey remains a milestone in the evolution of Malaysian ML:BB.
It took one Filipino coach, who poured his heart and soul into a country that embraced him as one of their own, to trigger a change that proved Malaysia could stand toe-to-toe with the world’s best – forever altering the course of Malaysian ML:BB.
