Smart Omega and ONIC Philippines strengthened their MPL Philippines Season 17 campaigns as they closed Week 6 Day 1 of the regular season on Friday.
The surging Barangay took down a struggling Twisted Minds PH side, while the Sonics bounced back against TNC Pro Team, with both matches ending in 2-0 sweeps.
Dean “Raizen” Sumagui’s Harley performance powered Smart Omega to a Game 1 win in under 14 minutes. The jungler posted a 7/0/4 KDA as his team controlled the game from start to finish.
Lance Aron “Lansu” Misa had minimal impact for Twisted Minds, managing just two assists and four deaths on Phoveus. The Minds failed to secure a single turret or Lord throughout the game as Omega’s map control proved dominant.
Game 2 turned into a low-scoring affair, with only 14 total kills across 30 minutes. Smart Omega ultimately prevailed thanks to a crucial Lord steal from James “Jeymz” Gloria in the 28th minute.
Despite holding a lead of as much as 13,000 gold, Twisted Minds faltered late, as Omega capitalized with a game-ending push toward the exposed base.
Rookie captain Carl Edriel “Minguin” Gallantes led the charge with a 1/4 assist performance on Zhuxin, highlighted by several game-changing plays. Mico “Nosia” Capil’s 5/0/4 Karrie performance went to waste as Twisted Minds squandered their advantage.
Smart Omega secured their third straight win, improving to 4-5, while Twisted Minds dropped to 3-7.
Meanwhile, ONIC Philippines opened their series strongly, overcoming an early deficit against TNC. King Cyric “K1NGKONG” Perez set the tone with a key pickoff on Justine “Zaida” Palma in the fifth minute.
ONIC mounted a steady comeback as TNC failed to regain control, eventually conceding Game 1 in 18 minutes. K1NGKONG led with a 4/0/11 Harley performance, while TNC’s Joshua “Ch4knu” Mangilog struggled with a 0/7/8 outing on Hylos.
Game 2 was quicker in ONIC’s favor, as TNC once again failed to convert an early lead. A three-man knock-up from Borris “Brusko” Parro’s Grock turned the tide, allowing ONIC to wipe out TNC members and secure objectives despite losing two heroes.
From there, ONIC closed the game in under 15 minutes, with Brusko finishing at 0/2/13 and Frince “SuperFrince” Ramirez contributing four kills and 10 assists on Gord.
ONIC improved to 6-4 to boost their playoff push, while TNC fell to the bottom of the standings at 2-8.
Saturday sets up a marquee clash as Team Liquid PH (9-0) and Team Falcons PH (7-1) face off once more, with major implications for the regular season standings.
TNC will look to bounce back against Smart Omega in a crucial match for both sides, while Twisted Minds aim to snap their three-match winless run against Aurora Gaming PH (3-6), who are also dealing with a midseason slump.
