PUTRAJAYA: A prolonged technical delay during Game Two proved costly for Team Vamos as they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Indonesia's RRQ Hoshi in the first round of the knockout stage at the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) M6 World Championship today.
In a spirited effort, Vamos narrowly lost the opening game to RRQ here.
However, the second game was disrupted by a lengthy tech pause when the devices used by three Vamos players—Kenneth Sablande "Nets" Barro, Rizky "Warlord" Agustian and Nazhan "Chibi" Nor—experienced screen flickering issues.
Despite switching devices, Vamos rallied to win Game Two and level the series.
In the decisive third game, RRQ delivered a commanding performance to clinch the series 2-1 and progress to the next stage of the knockout round.
Vamos coach Zulhisyam "Xorn" Nor admitted the tech issues affected his team's overall performance.
"The screens of Nets, Warlord, and Chibi's devices started flickering, which impacted us significantly.
"But credit to RRQ—they made unexpected plays, particularly their Franco player, who assisted the gold lane and created a strong advantage," said Zulhisyam.
The loss relegates Vamos to the lower bracket, where they join Selangor Red Giants (SRG), who were beaten by Fnatic Onic of the Philippines today.
Vamos now face a do-or-die scenario as they aim to keep their World Championship hopes alive on home soil.
If successful in their next match, Vamos and SRG could meet in the lower bracket semi-finals, where one team will be eliminated.
"We need to reset and address today's issues.
"It's back to the drawing board to decide on our next strategy," Zulhisyam added.
Vamos will next play the loser of the match between Team Spirit and Team Liquid Indonesia.