MSC 2026 rocked by huge upsets as SRG and Team Liquid PH crash out early

Wasif Ahmed Published July 27, 2026

Before the Knockout Stage of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) Mid-Season Cup (MSC) 2026 could begin, two of the favorites, Selangor Red Giants (SRG) and Team Liquid PH, were knocked out.

That’s right, the defending champions, along with the inaugural Mid-Season Cup winners, will be flying home early.

After being knocked down to the lower bracket on the first match day for Group B, SRG faced Geekay Esports, while Team Liquid PH encountered Entity7.

SRG were able to take down Geekay 2–1 to advance to the lower-bracket semifinal. However, here they faced another tournament favorite in the form of Indonesia’s ONIC.

ONIC found themselves in the lower bracket after suffering an upset themselves against Turkey’s Aurora Gaming.

Aurora have become the team to watch out for at the MSC. This comes after they took down Team Liquid PH in their opening group stage game on the back of some surprising draft picks.

Team Liquid are going home earlier than fans expected from the MSC 2026. Image credit: MOONTON Games

Against ONIC, however, they confirmed that it wasn’t a fluke and that they are here to stay with a 2–1 win.

Therefore, SRG vs. ONIC, a match many expected to happen in the Knockout Stage, happened a little earlier, with the Indonesian team taking down their opponents 2–0.

While SRG bowed out against a team from a formidable region, that wasn’t the case for the defending champions, Team Liquid PH. They lost 2–0 against South America’s Entity7, a team that placed 17th at the MSC 2024 and are competing in only their second international tournament.

Even more surprisingly, Entity7 later fell to PRO Esports 2–0 and failed to make the Knockout Stage themselves.

Are more upsets coming in the MLBB Mid-Season Cup (MSC) 2026 Knockout Stage?

The Knockout Stage is set to be even more grueling, as it features a single-elimination bracket.

There could be more upsets in store, though, which is something to be kept in mind during MLBB betting. Aurora Gaming, the Turkish powerhouse, now face ONIC in the first game.

Aurora Gaming are still going strong at the MSC 2026. Image credit: MOONTON Games

Team Vitality, the first seed from Indonesia, face the Philippines’ sole surviving roster, Team Falcons PH. This game is even more crucial for both rosters, as they are also fighting for the Esports World Cup (EWC) Club Championship 2026 title.

At the time of writing, Team Vitality are placed third, while Falcons are in sixth place. Team Falcons are yet to win an EWC tournament too, which is a requirement for claiming the title.

Featured image credit: MOONTON