NATIONAL University (NU) avenged last season’s heartbreak by dethroning De La Salle University, 2-1, to capture the 2026 University Athletic Association of the Philippines Esports Mobile Legends: Bang Bang crown on Wednesday at the MVP Studios in Mandaluyong City.
De La Salle appeared to still have NU’s number earlier in the tournament, sweeping the Bulldogs, 2-0, in the group stage, but turned the tables when it mattered most, beating the Green Archers in the finals to capture its first UAAP ML: BB championship.
NU head coach Ernest Del Rosario described the championship as a sentimental triumph for a team that used the pain of last season’s finals defeat and its group-stage loss to De La Salle as motivation to complete its redemption.
‘This championship holds great sentimental value for the team,’ Del Rosario said. ‘As a coach who had just joined the squad, I witnessed how hard they worked-especially after their loss last season.’
‘We also suffered a defeat in the series prior to the semi-finals, now, the difference is like night and day as we became focused, truly locked in to secure the championship,’ he added.
The Bulldogs seized control of Game 1 from the get-go, building a commanding 9-1 kill advantage by the eighth minute behind Johann Estacio’s four kills and five assists.
Not even Joshua Tating’s Lord steal in the ninth minute could halt NU’s charge, as the Bulldogs cruised to a 14-minute victory after Estacio secured a Savage in the final team fight.
De La Salle, however, showed its championship poise in Game 2, pulling off a dominant draft and building an advantage of as much as 8,000 gold before forcing a series decider with a 17-minute victory.
Estacio suffered an early setback in Game 3, dying in the opening minute as Tating secured a double kill during a top-lane ambush.
The NU star quickly bounced back, though, going on a rampage and finishing with eight kills, three assists, and just one death as the Bulldogs overcame their previous struggles against La Salle to clinch the title in 13 minutes.
Estacio was named grand finals MVP after a near-perfect performance in the championship series.
‘For me, the MVP award isn’t really a big deal since we’ve been teammates for a long time, so I view our victory as a true team effort,’ Estacio said. ‘Still, I am grateful for this award-something my parents didn’t expect either.’
NU dispatched the University of the Philippines (UP) in a dominant 2-0 semifinal sweep, while De La Salle rallied from a game down to stun Adamson University, 2-1, and set up a rematch of last season’s championship series.
Adamson University and UP were co-bronze medalists.
The VALORANT Tournament resumes on Monday at the NAOS Arena in DoubleDragon Plaza in Pasay City.