Last October, BOOM Esports walked out of TriNoma in heartbreak, falling just one game short of the Philippines Kings League 2025 Fall title. They promised to come back stronger—and prove they still belonged at the top.
Five months later, inside Gateway Mall’s Quantum Skyview Deck, they delivered.
BOOM Esports secured their place in history as the first two-time PKL champions after defeating a resilient Team Flash PH squad, 4-2, in Sunday’s grand finals.
It was a triumphant run for the Hungry Wolves, who entered the playoffs as the second seed following back-to-back international disappointments.
BOOM set the tone early with a 16-minute Game 1 victory behind John Phillex “Daniii” Bulanadi’s 3/0/4 performance on Ao’yin. The farm laner’s mid-game impact helped establish control for the Wolves.
They doubled their lead in Game 2 with a dominant 12-minute showing, as star jungler Karl Ken “Karlll” Bautista delivered a 7/1/4 masterclass on Agudo. John Mark “Katsu” Sotto provided the lone spark for Flash, accounting for both of the team’s kills.
Facing a 0-2 deficit, Team Flash PH responded with grit.
The sixth-seeded squad clawed back from a 5,000 gold deficit in Game 3, powered by Wen “GuXing” Guohao’s explosive 10/1/1 performance on Lam, including a clutch tower defense that extended the series.
Flash carried the momentum into Game 4, where Choe “QingC” Ze Jian’s Flowborn led them to a 17-minute equalizer. The Malaysian marksman posted two kills and five assists, while Cedrick “Ivalice” Santos added seven assists on Mozi to maintain map control.
But BOOM refused to fold.
The Hungry Wolves struck back in Game 5, needing just 11 minutes to reach match point as Karlll’s Lam produced a 4/2/3 performance, overwhelming Flash from the mid-game onward.
In Game 6, BOOM zeroed in on GuXing’s Jing, shutting him down early to prevent a Game 7. Daniii’s Di Renjie proved pivotal in the low-scoring affair, while Reniel “Dr4w” Angara’s Lian Po created the opening that allowed BOOM to break through Flash’s defenses and close out the series.
BOOM Esports took home the PKL trophy, medals, and over $12,000 in prize money, while Team Flash PH settled for $8,000.
Karlll was named Finals MVP, posting a 3.60 average KDA across the series. The jungler credited his growth to learning from both wins and losses.
“Every losses namin, kahit yung win, marami akong natututunan doon—even sa scrims,” he said. “Nag-adapt ako sa mga lapses ko as an individual.”
For Daniii, the painful loss last season became the foundation for their championship run.
“Yung growth namin after, mas lalo naming pinagtibay inside and outside the game,” he shared. “Yung bonding namin, samahan namin ang isa sa mga key na tumulong sa amin na maabot ang championship na ito.”
BOOM, Team Flash, and third-place finishers Blacklist International will represent the Philippines in the upcoming Honor of Kings World Cup in Saudi Arabia next July. The champions will also head to China next month to compete in the 32-team HOK Challengers Cup, where they will face top squads from the King’s Pro League.
