ONIC Philippines and Aurora Gaming survived five-game battles against TNC Pro Team and Smart Omega, respectively, to advance to the next stage of the MPL Philippines Season 18 playoffs.
Third-seeded ONIC edged sixth-seeded TNC, 3-2, while fourth-seeded Aurora rallied past fifth-seeded Omega by the same score to set up two crucial matchups in the next round.
ONIC outlasts TNC behind Super Frince, K1NGKONG
TNC drew first blood in the series as Jomari “Jowm” Pingol powered his Obsidia to a 7/1/2 KDA in Game 1.
The Super Family initially held as much as a 3,000-gold lead, but Jowm hit his power spike around the eighth minute and helped TNC turn the game around. Once his Obsidia came online, ONIC struggled to regain control as TNC secured the opening win.
ONIC answered in Game 2 through jungler King Cyric “K1NGKONG” Perez, whose Aulus finished with a 7/1/8 KDA. The third seed controlled the game from start to finish, leveling the series in just 16 minutes.
Roamer Borris “Brusko” Parro then helped ONIC move ahead in Game 3. His Atlas became a key part of the team’s midgame turnaround, landing a crucial four-man Fatal Links that caught TNC and swung the fight in ONIC’s favor. The win put the Sonics one game away from advancing.
The Phoenix Army refused to go quietly, forcing a deciding fifth game with a 17-minute victory in Game 4. Nowee “Ryota” Macasa earned MVP honors with a 4/0/2 KDA on Freya, creating space for TNC in team fights while keeping Kirk’s Lukas at bay.
The series came down to a tense Game 5, with ONIC holding a narrow lead as both teams waited for an opening. Around the 19th minute, TNC moved into position to contest the next play, but ONIC baited Zaida’s Aulus into committing. Zaida narrowly escaped a takedown, yet ONIC came away with the Lord.
K1NGKONG’s Hirara then bought time against two TNC players, forcing the rest of the squad to defend ONIC’s four-man push with only three members. Frince “Super Frince” Ramirez’s Lylia finished the deciding game with a 5/0/12 KDA as ONIC closed out the series.
Domeng leads Aurora’s comeback against Smart Omega
Aurora and Omega traded blows throughout their series, with the fourth seed eventually recovering from a 1-2 deficit to eliminate its fellow playoff contender.
The Northern Lights opened with a Game 1 win powered by Jan Dominic “Domeng” del Mundo’s Freya, who recorded a 3/3/15 KDA and played a key role in team fights. Kyle “Koyl” Reyes also delivered a huge performance on Hirara, finishing with a 12/2/9 KDA and stringing together four unanswered kills during Aurora’s base defense.
Omega equalized in Game 2 behind Dean “Raizen” Sumagui’s Aulus, who finished with a 5/0/8 KDA. Cull added a 7/0/4 performance on Obsidia as Omega found its footing in the series.
The fifth seed then took a 2-1 lead by turning to a rarely used Bruno pick in Game 3. Wilburt “Cull” Salinda made the most of the marksman, earning MVP honors with an 8/0/3 KDA in a close 20-minute victory that put Omega one win away from advancing.
Aurora forced a decider after overturning Omega’s advantage in Game 4. Omega led by 3,000 gold at the 14-minute mark, but Cull and Raizen fell in a crucial sequence that gave Aurora an opening to secure the Lord.
Raizen tried to salvage the game with a Paquito backdoor, but Koyl’s Hirara shut down the attempt. Aurora then pushed through Omega’s defenses and ended the game before the 19-minute mark. Domeng claimed MVP honors with a 3/0/5 KDA on Obsidia, taking advantage of his hero’s power spike and Aurora’s superior crowd control to bring the series to 2-2.
Omega brought out Raizen’s signature Fanny for the deciding game, giving the jungler room to pressure both lanes even as Aurora held the advantage.
Aurora secured the Lord around the 17th minute but lost four players in the ensuing fight, forcing Koyl to retreat. Omega won the exchange, but the team still had to return to base to defend, leaving it unable to turn the fight into a decisive push.
The game remained on a knife-edge until a crucial clash near the 22nd minute. John “Perkziva” Sumawan’s Kalea caught Koyl, but Light’s Belerick and Domeng’s Claude turned the fight around and wiped out four Omega players. Aurora immediately moved to end the game, while Raizen respawned and rushed to clear the incoming minions, but he could not stop the push alone.
Domeng finished with a 2/2/11 KDA to claim his second MVP award of the series and seal Aurora’s 3-2 victory. Omega’s playoff run ended despite taking a 2-1 series lead, while Aurora advanced after winning back-to-back games to close out the matchup.
ONIC faces Falcons as Aurora gets another shot at Liquid
ONIC Philippines will face second-seeded Team Falcons PH in the upper bracket seminifals, looking to break a winless run against Falcons this season.
Aurora, meanwhile, will take on top seed Team Liquid PH. The teams split their regular-season meetings 1-1, making their playoff series the tiebreaker in a matchup neither side managed to settle during the regular season.
