MPL Indonesia Derbies: From the Classics to the Hotheads

All the great leagues have great derbies, and MPL Indonesia derbies are no exception. This is what makes the tournament feel alive.

Since its inception, MPL Indonesia has featured heavy-hitting teams that bring a big audience. Indonesia itself has a deeply rooted sports culture and fanaticism, nurtured by people’s fascination with football and badminton.

For Indonesians, supporting your favorite team is not just showing your love; it’s a holy crusade. Rivalries between teams and their supporters are often intense, on and off the stage.

With MPL Indonesia Season 17 starting this week, we will take a look at the biggest, officially recognized MPL Indonesia derbies ever to happen in the history of the tournament. We will also talk about stats: how many times they happen and which team reigns supreme throughout its history.

1. STM Derby

In Indonesia, STM means “Sekolah Teknik Mesin,” an archaic term for a vocational school focusing on the industrial or automotive machinery segment. There’s a bad stigma around these so-called STM students, where they often wander around the street and pick fights with students from another school.

This derby is called STM Derby for a reason. Centered around Bigetron by Vitality and Alter Ego, this derby channels the spirit of those students. It’s fast-paced, full of intensity, with neither team ever backing down in battles.

One of the charms of the STM Derby is that it is a mid-top-level derby that sits below teams like RRQ and ONIC in terms of prestige. Despite that, having such a high-octane match in the midpack of the table gave fans a lot of entertainment.

So far, 36 STM Derbies have happened, with Bigetron standing tall over Alter Ego at 20-16. The next STM Derby will happen this week on March 27. Maybe with Alter Ego clutching the season 16 runner-up position, the status quo will change.

2. International Derby

Our next major MPL Indonesia derby was coined just recently between EVOS and ONIC. Besides their meeting history, derbies in MPL Indonesia were also defined by similarities between teams. For EVOS and ONIC, it comes down to their international experience.

EVOS set the standard when they won the first-ever M World Championship in 2019. In 2022, they also represented Indonesia to win the 2022 IESF tournament in Bali.

Meanwhile, ONIC made their name overseas by winning the MSC 2019 and 2023; the Snapdragon Pro Series Season 3 in 2023 also; and, recently, the Games of the Future 2025.

So far, only 3 International Derbies are played officially, with ONIC winning them all. Before this term was coined, they went way back many, many times. The next derby will begin on April 24.

3. Royal Derby

From season 8 to 10, both RRQ and ONIC were fighting in their prime form. These teams are closely pitted for the top place. Thus, the Royal Derby term was coined. It was the derby to determine a season’s champion.

Despite only lasting for three seasons due to RRQ no longer playing consistently, the nickname stuck. After all, RRQ is still a big team, and the Royal Derby is a fitting name for a grand match of these big 3 teams.

38 Royal Derby matches have happened, with ONIC edging out RRQ 18-20. The next derby will start on March 29.

4. Classic Derby

This is the mother of all MPL Indonesia derbies. Pitting RRQ and EVOS: Indonesia’s most popular organizations, these are the oldest derbies that were sparked from the first season.

It was originally called El Clásico, referencing the old rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Starting from season 12, the name was changed to Classic Derby due to copyright reasons (Fun fact: Even Barcelona and Real Madrid cannot use the El Clásico name to promote their big matches).

RRQ established themselves as the true king, winning 23-14 over EVOS in 37 Classic Derbies. The next one will begin on April 18.