For two grand finals appearances, the MPL Philippines crown remained just out of Aurora Gaming PH’s reach.
In Season 14, the team fell short in its first shot at the title against Fnatic ONIC PH; two seasons later, another grand finals defeat against Team Liquid PH in Season 16 left the championship unfinished business.
But on a fateful Sunday inside PhilSports Arena, Aurora finally turned that heartbreak into history.
Aurora Gaming PH ended its wait for an MPL Philippines championship after defeating Team Falcons PH, 4-2, in the Season 18 grand finals at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City on Sunday, October 25.
The victory marked Aurora’s first MPL PH title since joining the league in Season 14 and its first series win over Falcons this year after five consecutive defeats. Jan Dominic “Domeng” del Mundo led the championship run, earning Finals MVP honors after delivering a standout performance across the six-game series.
Aurora’s crowd control overwhelms Falcons in Game 1
Aurora set the tone early in Game 1, taking control from the opening minutes with Dylan “Light” Catipon’s Atlas and Kenneth “Yue” Tadeo’s Zhuxin. Their crowd control repeatedly disrupted Falcons’ attempts to engage, giving Aurora the space to dictate team fights and claim the opening game.
Yue earned Game 1 MVP honors with a 6/1/7 KDA as Aurora took a 1-0 lead in the series.
Falcons respond with two straight wins
Team Falcons answered in Game 2 by establishing early map control and leaning on their macro play to keep Aurora from converting its damage into a comeback.
Domeng’s Kimmy dealt significant damage and secured kills, but Falcons maintained control of the map and closed out the game to level the series. Marco “SuperMarco” Requitiano earned MVP honors on Claude with a 3/0/7 KDA, while Salic “Hadji” Imam contributed a 6/1/7 performance on Zhuxin.
Falcons then moved ahead in Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead. Aurora held a narrow advantage heading into the 18th minute, but the team lost Kyle “Koyl” Reyes and Light before the evolved Lord spawned.
Aurora attempted to catch Falcons off guard with a backdoor play, but the move failed to turn the game around. SuperMarco’s Cici finished with a 6/1/8 KDA to claim MVP honors and put Falcons one game away from taking a commanding lead.
Aurora turns to Estes to tie the series
Facing a potential 3-1 deficit, Aurora coach Aniel “Master The Basics” Jiandani brought out an unexpected pick in Game 4: Yue’s Estes in the middle lane.
Aurora built its strategy around the healer, grouping together to protect Yue and overwhelm Falcons with sustained healing and coordinated engagements. The approach paid off before the fifth minute, as Aurora repeatedly grouped up and took down opposing heroes before Falcons could respond.
Yue finished without a death, recording a 0/0/9 KDA to earn MVP honors. Domeng’s Kimmy also delivered a 6/0/5 performance as Aurora secured the win and tied the series at 2-2.
Domeng’s Chou helps Aurora reach match point
Estes returned in Game 5, this time in Light’s hands, but Falcons initially gained the advantage and held the lead heading into the 11th minute.
A fight near the Lord pit nearly turned the game in Aurora’s favor. Michael “Kyle” Sayson responded with four consecutive kills to swing the engagement back toward Falcons, but Domeng’s Chou eventually shut him down despite being outnumbered two-to-one.
Another clash in the 12th minute proved decisive for Aurora, which won the fight and moved to match point. Domeng earned MVP honors with a 9/1/10 KDA on Chou, putting Aurora one win away from its first MPL PH championship.
Aurora closes out Falcons to claim the championship
Aurora carried its momentum into Game 6, controlling the match from start to finish with stronger macro play and coordinated team fights.
Falcons struggled to find openings against Aurora’s frontline, while its core players were consistently outmatched across the game. Domeng returned to Clint, one of his trusted picks, and delivered a 9/0/3 KDA as Aurora closed out the series with a 4-2 victory.
Domeng was named the Season 18 Finals MVP, averaging 6.00 kills, 0.83 deaths, and 3.50 assists across the grand finals. The award capped Aurora Gaming’s championship run that also marked the first MPL PH titles for Domeng, Koyl, and Yue.
The two teams will now set their sights at the M8 World Championship on January in Istanbul, Türkiye.
