“You can tell Kioway is a true woodswoman”: An interview with Vivian ahead of the MWI 2026 playoffs
The group stage of the MLBB Women’s International 2026 has come to an end—now the teams are set to battle for the trophy in the playoffs, where Team Vitality from Indonesia will be the favorite for the fifth consecutive year. Ahead of the decisive matches, we spoke with the team’s roamer, Vivi “Vivian” Indrawati: The three-time MWI champion shared which opponents she fears in the playoffs and why she’s looking forward to facing Russia’s Geltek Cyber Team.
Congratulations on making it to the playoffs, Vivian. How would you rate your team’s performance in the group stage? Are you satisfied with how the team is playing right now?
Thank you! I think our team has started playing better. Our communication has become more coordinated; we’re playing with more discipline, reminding each other of important details, and sticking to our original plan. We still have room to grow—for example, I need to be more patient myself.
Now that the group stage is over—what are your expectations for the playoffs? Who do you think will be the toughest opponent?
My goal is to become champion, and I really want to win. I can see how much support I’m getting from Team Vitality and all of Indonesia.
As for our opponents, I think the most dangerous ones are the teams we haven’t played yet. You don’t know what to expect from them, what their playstyle is, or which champions they’ll be picking. For example, SAETA from China managed to beat Falcons Vega—no one saw that coming. We have too little data to prepare, and the course of the match can be unpredictable.
Besides, it’s sometimes harder to maintain discipline against lesser-known teams. Some people think this happens because we underestimate them—but in reality, it’s just harder to prepare for such opponents, and it’s harder to stay fully focused during the match.
Is there a team you’d particularly like to face in the playoffs?
In past tournaments, Cambodia has always finished in the top 3. They now have two new players, Sofia and Winnie, but when I spoke with players from other teams, they all said that playing against Cambodia is very tough. They’re a strong team. But China’s SAETA shouldn’t be underestimated either.
What do you think of Geltek Cyber Team?
Oh, they’re another worthy opponent. For example, I like their jungler—she plays really well. You can tell from her Kioway that she’s a true jungler, haha. Geltek won all their games in the group stage, so they’re definitely a strong team. Plus, they’re from Europe, where MLBB isn’t developing as quickly as in Asia—so they definitely deserve respect.
How do you think the level of international tournaments, like MWI, differs from other competitions?
The way I feel it is, when I’m playing at boot camp, I’m completely focused. But here, on the big stage, I always want to do more, and because of that, I sometimes lose my discipline. I try to live up to everyone’s expectations, and sometimes that makes it hard for me to stay focused. At bootcamp, though, I don’t think about anything—I just play and am completely focused. That’s the main difference.
