Alter Ego Ares, formerly known as Alter Ego Limax, shocked the world of PUBG Mobile as they claimed the title of Southeast Asia champions of the PUBG Mobile Super League (PMSL) last night. The team defied all expectations, as many believed the trophy would go to Thai teams or better-known compatriots such as Persjiavos or Boom Esports.
Alter Ego Ares fought hard to secure their place in the PMSL grand finals, after a tough three-week run in March. The team did not perform particularly well during the first two weeks compared to their fellow Indonesians Persijavos and Voin Esports, who caught the attention of SEA spectators.
However, during the third week, Alter Ego Ares stepped up their game and managed to avoid elimination. Surprisingly, they secured the most kill points of any Indonesian participant during week three. In round 19 on Sanhok, they came in second to Persijavos in kills with 16 points and took the WWCD.
Thanks to their strong performance in the final week, Alter Ego Ares finally moved up from the 18th spot to 12th with a total of 420 points. However, many viewers, especially Indonesian fans, doubted their chances, as they finished as Indonesia’s lowest-ranked team in the league.
Learned from the best
The team’s captain, Sharfan “Potato” Shidiq, had a positive attitude despite his team’s failure to secure a top-four finish at the PUBG Mobile Global Championship Grand Finals competition in North Jakarta last January. He believed that their defeat against big international names had given him and his teammates new inspiration and enthusiasm to face their next big competition. And clearly the team has learned their lesson well.
In the first week of the PMSL SEA Spring 2023 grand finals, Alter Ego Ares continued their strong play from week three, quickly seizing two WWCDs in the first and fifth rounds. The team demonstrated excellent map control in Sanhok and Miramar, eliminating veteran teams who were on their tails. New recruit Juventino “Rosemary” Ryan Jeremy, who was the scapegoat for Alter Ego Ares’ lacklustre performance at PMPL ID Spring last month, proved his worth in his first international grand finals competition.
Alter Ego Ares’ impressive performance in the first week made it hard for other teams to catch up. Teams ShineLikeDiamond, Yoodo Alliance, and Vampire Esports had the potential to close the gap, but in the final week, glaring weaknesses in their formations made them easy targets for other teams.
Despite ShineLikeDiamond and Yoodo each earning a WWCD on the final day, these results were insufficient to overcome Alter Ego Ares, which consistently finished in the top four during the last two rounds. Alter Ego Ares finished in first place with 161 points, just three points ahead of ShineLikeDiamond and Yoodo, who finished in second and third place, respectively, with 158 points.
This victory makes Alter Ego Ares the first Indonesian team to win the SEA championship under the franchise system, replacing the PMPL SEA which was implemented in early 2020, and earns them a grand prize of USD 50,500 and a slot to the second series of PUBG Mobile World Invitational, to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in July.
