AP.Bren sets date with ONIC Esports, drops Geek Fam to M5 lower bracket

QUEZON CITY, Philippines – A clash of champions and undefeated awaits Mobile Legends fans globally in the upper bracket finals.

It was the country's own AP.Bren and Indonesia's ONIC Esports that will fight for the first M5 Grand Finals slot.

This is after the reigning MPL Philippines champion beat Indonesian team Geek Fam ID in their best-of-five UB semifinal showdown, 3-1, in the M5 World Championship at the EVM Convention Center here on Tuesday, December 12.

Earlier in the day, the Yellow Hedgehogs swept Deus Vult, 3-0.

The two MLBB titans will take a three-day break before meeting on Saturday, December 16, with M5 moving to the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Meanwhile, Geek Fam ID will face Blacklist International in the lower bracket semis on Friday, December 15, at the same venue as the APBR-ONIC clash.

READ: M5 Playoffs: Discipline helps Blacklist triumph over Fire Flux in rematch, secures lower bracket quarterfinals ticket

If not for their Game Two hiccup, APBR simply owned the Bo5 series against Geek Fam, bannered by Filipino reinforcements Allen "Baloyskie" Baloy and Mark "Markyyyyy" Capacio.

Despite the near-perfect sweep, Baloy and his company failed to withstand Bren's resilience and strategic brilliance.

Led by Rowgien "Owgwen" Unigo's Mathilda, Francis "Ducky" Glindro's side decimated the MPL Indonesia Season 12 runner-up in their 22-minute Game One bout.

Owgwen claimed the Most Valuable Player nod after finishing with a flawless 5/0/14 KDA. Kyle "KyleTzy" Sayson's Baxia also delivered by listing a team-high 17 assists and a kill and slaying two lords.

Geek Fam drew level in the second game, thanks to a backdoor play by Luke Febrian "LUKE" Valentinus's Khaleed that outsmarted Bren. LUKE got two kills and three assists.

Playing as Martis, KyleTzy's aggressive early game ended up futile as he didn't secure any turtle or lord in the 19-minute match.

Flashing their lethal form again, Bren dismantled Geek Fam within 15 minutes, 11-2.

Captain Angelo "Pheww" Arcangel registered four kills and five assists on his Faramis, built on offensive items, earning him the MVP plum. KyleTzy's Fredrinn bounced back from his dismal Game Two outing by outplaying his counterpart Markyyy's Akai.

There was no looking back for the Hive in the fourth game as they hammered the final nail in Geek Fam's coffin. Bren scored a 12-1 rout of the visitors behind Owgwen's Mathilda with nine assists and a kill, while Marco "Super Marco" Requitiano (Brody) tallied 4/0/1 KDA.