“Mas naging open kami to options, mas konti kasi yung pressure sa amin.” - Pandora when asked about their preparations for both BREN’s Team A and B.

BREN Esports had their backs against the wall after being winless for their first few matches in 3 weeks of MPL Philippines Season 9. But that’s about to change- thanks to the new kids on the block!

We are not used to seeing a BREN lineup without Flap or Pheww in it. A huge gamble was made by the intellects of Coaches Duckeyy and Pauloxpert to put Stowm, Jowm, Lord Malikk and Pandora under Lusty’s wing- which baked off a huge reward after taking down the Uncrowned Kings- Smart Omega, who were actually starting to heat up after beating prime-time teams last week.

Game 1 was a surprise after the rest of the members of BREN drafted a somewhat similar lineup to ECHO Philippines- a double fighter side-lane composition that shook the rest of OMG. It was BREN from start to finish that did not allow the slightest of leads to go to the hands of the Kings of the SEA. Because of this, they were able to secure the first game and it was a wake-up call for OMG because from that moment on, they knew that BREN came to play. Lord Malikk was awarded as the Player of the Game for Game 1 because of a stellar finish in his use of the Aulus.

And then came the storm which was OMG- finding their way through the draft after securing one comfort hero after another. It was a good transition from the rest of the members of the Green and White to secure lots of room for clashes and individual fights. Due to this, they immediately made quick work of their rookie opponents as they formally welcomed them to the MPL’s 9th season. And of course, who else but E2MAX’s dependable leadership that got them to equalize in the series. With 12 assists and 3 kills, the seasoned veteran secured the deuce and brought the series to a nail-biting Game 3.

It was none like any other- a true battle of the besties to kick off the first series. It was Ch4knu’s Way of Dragon that caught Lord Malikk out of position which led to a commendable lead for Barangay Omega. But even with the lead in terms of kills and early game pressure, the warriors of Black and Yellow kept the game close by keeping the economy tight through pushing other lanes during the mixup and sacrificial plays that would later on turn into major objectives. The game lasted for more than 21 minutes and it was BREN that got into position first before locking in the crystal base after the Lord take. With that, it was a new flame that reignited the spark of the legends of old. It was Stowm running with the flame and bloomed to fruition after being the Game 3 Player of the Game.

Game 1 MVP: Lord Malikk (Aulus)

Game 2 MVP: E2Max (Pharsa)

Game 3 MVP: Stowm (Mathilda)