Photo: Moonton Games

By Tiffany Dela Cruz

Edward “Edward” Dapadap joined the elite company of gamers who captured the M-Series crown twice after leading Aurora Gaming PH to the M7 World Championship last Sunday.

The 21-year-old EXP laner, who won his first M3 world championship with Blacklist International in 2021, became only the fourth player to win the crown twice, joining the elite group headlined by Team Liquid’s Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno, Charles David “FlapTzy” Canon, and Angelo “Pheww” Arcangel. 

But the road was far from easy for Edward, who made multiple attempts at securing his second world title, falling short in three straight tries at M4, M5, and M6 before finally getting it done at M7 in his second try with his new squad.

That breakthrough also came amid a turbulent period for Aurora Gaming PH, who entered M7 carrying the weight of past disappointments. 

The squad had struggled to convert strong runs into titles in previous tournaments and was even branded as “chokers” by fans, a label that followed them into the world championship before they finally silenced critics with their title run.

Edward, however, turned that narrative into fuel, using the criticism as motivation rather than pressure. 

He said the doubts surrounding Aurora only pushed him to work harder and stay focused, helping the team stay composed on the biggest stage and ultimately deliver when it mattered most, capping their run with a dominant 4–0 sweep of home team Alter Ego in the grand finals.

“For us, we embraced being labeled as ‘chokers.’ We used that as motivation to improve what we were doing—put in double the effort and push ourselves even harder,” the three-time MPL PH champion said.

That tag also kept Aurora Gaming PH largely under the radar, easing the pressure on the squad as much of the spotlight remained on tournament favorites Team Liquid, ONIC ID, and the Selangor Red Giants—an environment that allowed them to play with greater freedom and perform at a consistently high level as the tournament progressed.

“I think it was also an advantage for us that we weren’t getting much attention in the M-Series. People were focused on TLPH, SRG, and ONIC. We were basically off their radar, which allowed us to make our run,” Edward said.

The team backed that approach with results, finishing tied for third in the swiss stage with a 3-1 record, their lone loss coming at the hands of Alter Ego. 

Then, they caught fire in the knockout stage, eliminating Team Liquid, Alter Ego, and the Selangor Red Giants, respectively, before dominating Alter Ego once more with a commanding sweep in the grand finals.