The Philippine national esports team Sibol suffered an early exit in the South and Southeast Asia regional qualifiers of the International Esports Federation’s (IESF) 2025 World Esports Championship (WEC) Dota 2 event.
Drawn into Group B, Sibol fell in its opening match against Malaysia but recovered with wins over Nepal, Thailand and Bhutan, while Pakistan forfeited their matches. The team finished second in its group, setting up a quarterfinal clash against Indonesia.
Indonesia struck first in the best-of-three series, but Sibol fought back in a grueling 52-minute Game 2 to force a decider. However, Indonesia quickly closed the door on the Philippine squad with a swift Game 3 victory, knocking Sibol out with a fifth to sixth place finish.
IESF has yet to confirm how many teams from the region will advance to the WEC Dota 2 main event. Traditionally, only the regional champion or top two squads qualify.
With their Dota 2 campaign over, Sibol now shifts focus to Mobile Legends Bang Bang. The men’s qualifiers begin on August 24, while the women’s qualifiers kick off on September 1.
