The battle of vision and aggression rises as the name for the first game we witness between Nexplay EVOS and BREN Esports, two teams who are still finding their place in the MPL-PH S9. CADENZA stole the spotlight for the early game with his constant pressure onto Saxa allowing for them to gain the early groove and first turtle up against the members of BREN, and ultimately providing Hesa and MP the King endless room for farming and obtaining the early lead. BREN, however, maintains composure and is able to punish CADENZA's aggression while answering certain initiations and trades from NXPE, Despite that NXPE was clearly able to dominate this phase of the game. Within 7 minutes into the game NXPE is able to take down a number of turrets against BREN, and even the first inhibitor tower was down by the 8 minute mark.

After taking down BREN's lower inhibitor tower, a slight miscalculation on NXPE's part allowed BREN to secure the first lord of the game which NXPE themselves begun. This allowed BREN to take back the turrets that were taken away from them, and even turn the gold lead immediately into their favor. During the 14 minute mark, however, two simultaneous fights take place at the lord pit area: where BREN secures the lord and an early kill onto Cadenza, but NXPE especially with MP the King's Roger finishes off the remaining members of BREN and is able to end the game with one straightforward push before BREN Esports is even able to call on the sanctuary lord for help.

For game number two, Lusty and Jowm join the fight and change things up for the side of BREN Esports with a signature Grock pick coming into the table for Lusty to play, but Nexplay EVOS does not let this change get the better of them. Just as we thought that BREN will be able to equally make attempts at aggressively playing the early game with their lineup which is much more equipped in these stages of the game, NXPE remains to play the better execution. With and despite a scaling composition brought about by Yellyhaze on the Cecilion and Hesa on the Beatrix, NXPE's execution of the early stages of the game was indeed the crucial gamechanger that prevailed.

BREN clearly controlled the first two minutes of the game, but an unexpected steal returns the momentum once more to Nexplay. Without stopping there, NXPE constantly takes away such crucial objectives from BREN, not allowing them to get the groove they initially wanted for them. Coordinated teamfights each and every time do not allow for BREN to have any room for initiations, and NXPE constantly sees to it that they put the pressure up against BREN instead. For such a composition that lacks hard sustain with the Valentina exp lane and the presence of a double mage set-up, NXPE knows very well how to play their specific strengths to their advantage. With an endless list of possible skills to layer with one another with a well-farmed NXPE lineup despite it only being the mid-game, Nexplay EVOS closes the series once again in another less than 15-minute game--being the better veteran rookie lineup, for this day.

GAME 1 (14:12) - BREN 6 (L); NXPE 12 (W)

GAME 2 (14:22) - BREN 1 (L); NXPE 15 (W)

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