Defending champions Selangor Red Giants (SRG) have officially booked their ticket to Paris, becoming the first Malaysian team to qualify for the prestigious Mid Season Cup (MSC) x Esports World Cup (EWC).

The monumental milestone was achieved following a dominant 3-1 victory over Invictus Gaming (iG) in the upper bracket final of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) Professional League Malaysia (MPL MY) Season 17 playoffs at the Juara Stadium in Bukit Kiara on Friday.

With this triumph, SRG have earned a spot in the Grand Finals and secured the country’s highly coveted first qualification slot for the global stage in France.

The Road to the Finals

SRG’s journey to qualification showcased the true pedigree of four-time defending champions. Just a day prior, the team survived a massive scare in the upper bracket semi-finals against Bigetron MY (BTRM).

Dropping the opening two games of that best-of-five series, SRG looked to be on the ropes before pulling off a dramatic 3-2 reverse sweep.

That semi-final victory was bolstered by the return of SRG captain Mark “Kramm” Rusiana, who made an impactful comeback after his suspension was reduced from seven matches to five.

Riding on that hard-fought momentum, SRG put on a clinical performance against iG in Friday’s upper bracket final.

Despite iG attempting to disrupt SRG’s rhythm with tactical adjustments—including substituting mid-lane player Adam “Melqt” Hamidun for Darmew in the third game—the reigning champions proved to be too steady and aggressive to break.

“From what I saw, SRG played to their form today,” acknowledged iG coach Abraham “Bam” Unida after the match. “Their decision-making, their aggressiveness… they were better tonight.”

One Final Ticket Remains

While Selangor Red Giants celebrate their guaranteed trip to Paris, the battle for Malaysia’s second and final MSC x EWC representation slot is far from over.

Invictus Gaming still has a lifeline to redeem themselves and setup a Grand Finals rematch against SRG. iG drops down to the lower bracket final on Saturday, where they will face Team Vamos.

The winner of that high-stakes matchup will not only book the last remaining ticket to the Paris World Cup but will also advance to challenge SRG for the ultimate MPL MY Season 17 crown.