Photo: Moonton Games

By Tiffany Dela Cruz

After a year defined by heartbreak and near misses, Aurora Gaming PH finally broke through—turning pain into payoff when it mattered most.

With Team Liquid already out, the last Filipino team standing made sure the Philippines’ M-Series streak stayed alive, sweeping home bet Alter Ego, 4–0, in the M7 World Championship on Sunday at the Tennis Indoor Senayan in Indonesia.

Aurora Gaming PH–who struggled throughout this cycle–redeemed themselves and kept the Philippines on top of the world stage, extending the nation’s streak to six championships and becoming the fifth Filipino team to win an M-Series crown.

The MPL PH Season 16 runners-up put on a dominant showing in the finale, dispatching an Alter Ego side that clawed its way back from the lower bracket after eliminating Team Spirit, Team Liquid, and Selangor Red Giants for a shot at the title.

Dylan “Light” Catipon dictated the pace from the opening minutes on Hylos, using the durable hero to set the tempo as Aurora Gaming PH rolled to a 15–8 victory in just 15 minutes that set the tone for the entire series.

The Filipino squad stepped it up a notch in Game 2, fielding an ultra-aggressive roster led by Light’s Grock and Jhonard “Demonkite” Caranto’s Leomord to secure a 2-0 lead via a lopsided 20-5 win.

It was Light who once again starred for Aurora Gaming PH in Game 3, providing superb playmaking on Chou in Game 3 and produced 11 assists in a 15-2 triumph that pushed the squad to a win away from securing the world title.

Carl “Yue” Tadeo (Lunox) and Dominic “Domengkite” Del Mundo (Harith) helped put on the finishing touches in Game 4, combining for 10 kills and 22 assists in the title-clinching 17-6 win.

Aurora Gaming PH took home $320,000, or around ₱18,870,400, for winning the 22-team tournament.