Team Falcons PH became the first Philippine representative to qualify for the M8 World Championship after surviving a reverse-sweep scare from Aurora Gaming PH, 3-2, in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) Philippines Season 18 upper bracket finals Friday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
The victory also sent the Green Falcons to the Season 18 Grand Finals and kept alive the organization’s bid for a maiden MPL Philippines title after settling for runner-up honors last season.
After Aurora seized a 2-1 series lead, Falcons responded with back-to-back wins, highlighted by a stunning comeback from a 13,000-gold deficit in Game 4 before cruising to a dominant 17-3 victory in the deciding fifth game.
Kyle “KyleTzy” Sayson led the charge for Falcons, delivering a 3-2-7 KDA on Nolan in Game 4 before exploding for a 9-1-7 performance on Hirara in the clincher. Veteran midlaner Salic “Hadji” Imam also played a key role, posting a combined 7-2-17 KDA across the final two games.
While Team Falcons booked their return to the M-Series stage, ONIC Philippines saw its campaign come to an end after a 3-0 sweep at the hands of defending champion Team Liquid Philippines in the lower bracket semifinals.
Bouncing back from their upper bracket defeat at the hands of Aurora Gaming PH, Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno powered the Cavalry throughout the series, helping Team Liquid dominate the map and secure every major objective across the three games. Gold laner Dave “Teddy” Viaña likewise shone with deathless performances in the first two games as the defending champions dispatched ONIC, 9-4, 8-3 and 8-2.
Alamat Awards honor Season 18 top performers
Away from the competition, MPL Philippines also handed out its annual Alamat Awards, recognizing the season’s top performers.
Aurora’s Jan “Domeng” Delmundo was named Most Improved Player of the Season, while teammate Nathanael “Nathzz” Estrologo took home the Comeback Player of the Season award. OMG’s Wilburt “Cull” Salinda was hailed as the Rising Star of the Season, while content creator Ben “Benthings” Maglaque earned Esports KOL of the Season honors. Team Liquid Philippines’ fan group, The Cavalry, was also recognized as Fans Club of the Season.
ONIC, which topped the regular season standings, dominated the Smart Fans’ Choice All-Stars ballot with its entire starting lineup making up the fan-selected squad. The league’s All-Star Team 2 featured Delmundo alongside Team Falcons quartet Sayson, Imam, David “Flap” Canon and Rowgien “Owgwen” Unigo.
The Infinix All-Star Team 1, meanwhile, was bannered by Team Falcons gold laner Marco “Super Marco” Requitiano and Team Liquid’s Nepomuceno, Sanford “Sanford” Vinuya, Alston “Sanji” Pabico and Jaypee “Jaypee” Dela Cruz.
Team Falcons coaches Francis “Ducky” Glindro, Mohammad “Moody” Samaland and Vrendon “Vren” Pesebre were named Coaching Team of the Season after steering the Green Falcons to another Grand Finals appearance, while Team Liquid’s Dela Cruz capped off the awards ceremony by claiming the Regular Season MVP award.
With Falcons already securing the Philippines’ first ticket to M8, the spotlight now shifts to Aurora Gaming PH and Team Liquid PH, which collide in the lower bracket finals Saturday. The best-of-seven showdown, scheduled for 5 p.m., will determine the country’s second representative to the M8 World Championship and Team Falcons’ opponent in the Season 18 Grand Finals.