MPL PH S18: Team Falcons edge Aurora 3-2 to become first Philippine team bound for M8

Team Falcons PH are the first Philippine side going to the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang M8 World Championship. They beat Aurora Gaming PH 3-2 in a five-game MPL Philippines Season 18 upper bracket final on Friday, 23 October, which also put them into Sunday's grand final. Aurora drop into the lower bracket, where three-time defending champions Team Liquid PH are waiting for them with the country's second M8 ticket at stake.

How the series swung

Falcons had to come from behind. In Game 1, after a back-and-forth trade of objectives and fights, Aurora took the opener, with Domeng finishing on 8-5-1. Falcons replied in Game 2 by winning a Lord fight late on, and SuperMarco went 4-2-4.

A steal of the Lord at around the 14-minute mark of Game 3 put Aurora 2-1 up. Yue was outstanding on Yve with a 4-0-8 line. Falcons, one game from going down to the lower bracket, then forced a decider. SuperMarco played Cici in Game 4 and ended on 8-1-8.

Game 5 was decided early. Falcons got ahead in the opening minutes and finished the series by pushing through the mid lane. ALL-STAR Magazine's report also singled out Koyl's Hirara and Hadji's Eudora as important picks for the winners.

Liquid stay alive in the lower bracket

Earlier on Friday, Team Liquid PH kept their hopes of a fourth straight title going by knocking ONIC PH out of the lower bracket. Liquid had dropped down after losing 3-1 to Aurora in the upper bracket semi-finals earlier in the week.

On Saturday, 24 October, Aurora and Liquid meet in the lower bracket final. The match is scheduled for 5pm, which is the same time in Malaysia because the Philippines is also on UTC+8. According to the published schedule, the lower bracket final and the grand final are both best-of-seven. The winner plays Falcons in the grand final at 5pm on Sunday, 25 October.

What is at stake at M8

Each of MPL Philippines, MPL Indonesia and MPL Malaysia gets two direct places in the M8 Main Stage. The championship is scheduled for January 2027. Istanbul, Turkey will host the Main Stage and finals, and Bangkok will host the Wild Card Stage. In the Philippine league, the top two finishers qualify. That makes Saturday's lower bracket final the match that decides who joins Falcons, while Sunday's grand final is about the title and seeding.

The two teams in Saturday's match have very different stories. Liquid are on a bid for a four-peat and won the Season 17 final 4-2 against Falcons in May. Aurora started this season 0-3 in the regular season. In the playoffs they have beaten Omega Esports 3-2 and Liquid 3-1, and they took Falcons to five games.

The Malaysian connection

Fans in Malaysia have their own playoffs to follow next week. The MPL Malaysia Season 18 playoffs run at Stadium Juara in Kuala Lumpur from 28 October to 1 November, and the top two there also qualify for M8. When the draw is made, the Philippine and Malaysian qualifiers could end up meeting in Istanbul.

Key takeaways

• Team Falcons PH beat Aurora Gaming PH 3-2 in the MPL PH S18 upper bracket final on 23 October, coming from 2-1 down.
• The win puts Falcons into the grand final and makes them the first Philippine team qualified for M8.
• Team Liquid PH eliminated ONIC PH to stay alive and face Aurora in Saturday's lower bracket final at 5pm (Malaysia time).
• The winner of that match also qualifies for M8 and meets Falcons in Sunday's grand final.

FAQ

Who has qualified for M8 from the Philippines so far? Team Falcons PH are the only Philippine team confirmed so far. They qualified by winning the MPL PH Season 18 upper bracket final against Aurora Gaming PH.

When is the MPL PH Season 18 lower bracket final in Malaysia time? Aurora Gaming PH play Team Liquid PH at 5pm on Saturday, 24 October. Malaysia and the Philippines share a time zone, so local and Malaysian times are the same.

Where and when is M8? M8 is scheduled for January 2027. Istanbul hosts the Main Stage and finals, and Bangkok hosts the Wild Card Stage.

Sources: Manila Bulletin, ALL-STAR Magazine, GMA News, Dot Esports, esports.gg, Moonton