ONIC Philippines and Smart Omega secured their spots in the MPL Philippines Season 17 final four after surviving their respective playoff matches on Wednesday at the packed San Juan Arena.
The Super Family outlasted Aurora Gaming PH in a full five-game thriller, while the Barangay overwhelmed Twisted Minds PH in four games to keep their championship campaigns alive.
ONIC PH survives Aurora comeback scare in five-game series
Aurora Gaming drew first blood in the series after an explosive Game 1 performance led by gold laner Dominic “Domengkite” del Mundo.
Aurora seized control after a decisive seventh-minute skirmish where Domengkite secured a kill, two assists, and the third Turtle, helping the Northern Lights close the opener in just 18 minutes.
ONIC responded immediately in Game 2 behind King Cyric “K1NGKONG” Perez’s flawless Leomord performance. The jungler finished with a 6/0/6 KDA as the Super Family dominated Aurora from start to finish to level the series.
The middle games turned into a slugfest between both sides.
Jonard Cedrix “Demonkite” Caranto powered Aurora to a Game 3 victory after posting a 9/5/5 line on Suyou, putting ONIC on the brink of elimination.
However, veteran roamer Borris “Brusko” Parro stepped up in Game 4. His Marceline finished with 10 assists and only two deaths, stabilizing ONIC’s team fights and forcing a deciding Game 5.
Aurora appeared poised to pull off the upset after building a 6,000-gold advantage late in the final game. But ONIC’s scaling composition eventually took over.
A critical extended clash swung momentum toward the Super Family after three Aurora players fell during a late-game engagement. Moments later, Dylan “Light” Catipon’s flank attempt backfired as ONIC collapsed on Aurora’s backline.
Clayton “Savero” Kuswanto’s Karrie shredded through the remaining defenders as ONIC completed the reverse momentum swing to eliminate the reigning M7 champions.
Smart Omega dominates Twisted Minds in four
Unlike ONIC’s marathon series, Smart Omega recovered quickly after dropping Game 1 against Twisted Minds PH.
Michael “MPTheKing” Endino carried the Minds in the opener with an 8/4/4 Suyou performance, helping Twisted Minds secure the third Lord and methodically close out the game in the late stages.
That would be the last bright spot for Twisted Minds. Omega completely took over the series afterward, winning the next three games in dominant fashion — all in just 14 minutes each.
Game 2 saw Omega dismantle Twisted Minds across the map, limiting their opponents to just one turret. Carl Edriel “Minguin” Gallantes controlled the tempo on Yve, while Kenneth “Netskie” Barro added pressure on Harith.
Dean “Raizen” Sumagui then exploded in Game 3 with an 8/4/4 Leomord performance, highlighted by a triple kill after a decisive Lord fight that broke the game wide open.
Omega closed the series in Game 4 behind John “Perkziva” Sumawan, who assisted all 12 kills while constantly disrupting Twisted Minds’ setups and rotations.
The convincing turnaround sends Smart Omega into a massive semifinal clash against top seed Team Liquid PH.
