Team Liquid PH Demolishes Aurora, ONIC Fights Back

Team Liquid PH Demolishes Aurora, ONIC Fights Back

Liquid’s Cavalry Crushes Aurora in Three Games

Team Liquid Philippines arrived in Riyadh with expectations heavier than an armored turtle. And yes, they delivered. In a quarterfinal clash at Amazon Esports Arena, Liquid dismantled Aurora Gaming in a clinical 3–0 sweep, booking their spot in the MSC 2025 semifinals. The show wasn’t just about winning—it was about making a statement.
Alston “Sanji” Pabico anchored the charge, earning match MVP honors by orchestrating plays that looked choreographed. Across three games, Sanji’s consistency was a sight to behold. Opponents watched in horror as his Zhuxin shattered defenses and set up team fights with clockwork precision. Team Liquid PH Demolishes Aurora

Game 1: Zhuxin’s Lightning Start

Just 12 minutes in, Sanji logged a 3/1/12 KDA on Zhuxin, leaving Aurora scrambling for answers. When a hero shows up with double-digit assists, you know it’s not a casual Sunday stroll. Yet, Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno and Kiel “Oheb” Soriano made sure the tempo never dipped.
KarlTzy’s signature Lancelot was slicing through Aurora’s backline—five kills, nine assists. Oheb’s Granger went even further, tallying 10 kills and five assists without breaking a sweat. Aurora’s Mehmet “Lunar” Ilgun and Sidar “Tienzy” Menteşe combined for eight of the team’s 19 deaths, a stat that reads like a horror story for the underdogs.

Game 2: Oheb’s Maniac Madness

Liquid kept the gas pedal floored in Game 2. Oheb locked in another Granger performance for the ages—securing his maniac in the 10th minute. A savage was tantalizingly close, if not for Ahmet “Rosa” Batır’s narrow escape. Sanji was still omnipresent, tallying assists on every kill with his Zhuxin.
Jaypee “Jaypee” dela Cruz chipped in two kills and four assists on Mathilda, proving this squad isn’t a one-trick pony. Aurora fought valiantly but couldn’t match Liquid’s flash and finesse.

Game 3: SanSan Duo’s Grand Finale

The final game was a SanSan Duo showcase. Sanford “Sanford” Vinuya stepped up on Cici, recording six kills and three assists. Sanji switched to Pharsa for a 3/3/5 line. It looked like a well-oiled machine rather than a esports roster. Şiyar “Sigibum” Akbulut’s 4/3/2 on Ixia was valiant but insufficient. Aurora folded after 19 minutes, tips politely turned in.
With this sweep, Team Liquid PH keeps its streak alive—three straight MSC semifinals, matching their best runs in 2023 and 2024. Next up: ONIC Indonesia. It’s a rematch of the MSC 2023 semifinals, where Liquid (then ECHO) fell 0–3. Redemption arc, anyone?

ONIC PH’s Rocky Road Against Team Spirit

If Liquid’s path was smooth, ONIC Philippines had potholes. Facing Team Spirit in the quarters, the M6 world champions took a brutal Game 1 loss, 13–2 in under 14 minutes. Alexander “Oneshot” Sharkov’s Yi Sun-shin racked up eight kills and three assists. Mathaios “Kidbomba” Chatzilakos lent support on Gloo with a kill and eight assists. ONIC’s Jann Kirk “Kirk” Gutierrez looked as lost as a tourist without Google Maps, going 0/6/0 on Phoveus.

Game 2: Kelra’s Wanwan Redemption

Enter Duane “Kelra” Pillas on Wanwan. He answered the opening loss with a nine-kill, five-assist masterclass. Oneshot on Akai went from predator to prey, logging four deaths without a single takedown. Anton “HIKO” Pak’s Moskov was left scratching for relevance. Suddenly, the series was tied, and ONIC looked reborn.

Marathon Mayhem: Game 3’s War of Attrition

Game 3 stretched the limits—nearly 30 minutes of pure, unfiltered chaos. HIKO on Moskov and Kemiran “SunsetLover” Kochkarov on Pharsa combined for 13 kills and 17 assists, dragging Team Spirit back into the fray. Yet, Kelra wasn’t finished. He delivered a 14/3/5 performance that swung momentum.
Borris “Brusko” Parro’s Chou cameo was the exclamation point—nabbing a clutch pickoff on HIKO and breaking the siege. ONIC was one win away from the semifinals, breathing easier than a diver who just resurfaced.

Clutch Play and Closeout in Game 4

Team Spirit wasn’t ready to tap out. They threatened a comeback, but King Cyric “K1NGKONG” Perez led a decisive engage in the 16th minute. A full-team wipe left only SunsetLover defending a shrinking base. His attempt to burst down Kelra was ambitious—and promptly rebuffed. The Gold Standard closed it out with a final midlane push, sending ONIC to the semis.
Now ONIC PH will face Malaysia’s Selangor Red Giants OG Esports—a tantalizing clash between M6 and MSC 2024 champions. History suggests sparks will fly.

Semifinal Showdowns Await

Two Filipino powerhouses. Two killer matchups. Team Liquid PH versus ONIC Indonesia—and ONIC PH against Selangor Red Giants. If both come through, brace yourselves for an all-Filipino Grand Finals. Imagine the fireworks. A showdown worthy of every sleepless night we’ve spent yelling at our screens.
The road to MSC glory never felt so exciting.