MPL PH S18 playoffs: Aurora stun Team Liquid 3-1 as Falcons sweep ONIC to set up M8 decider

The MPL Philippines Season 18 playoffs at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City have already produced a major upset. Aurora Gaming PH beat Team Liquid PH 3-1 in the upper bracket semi-finals, pushing the three-time defending champions into the lower bracket. In the other semi-final, Team Falcons PH swept ONIC PH 3-0. Aurora and Falcons now meet in the upper bracket final, with a place at the M8 World Championship riding on the result.

Aurora come from a game down against Liquid

Liquid started well. They built an early lead in Game 1, and even though Aurora took the first Lord, Liquid's crowd-control-heavy line-up broke through on the final push. KarlTzy was the stand-out on Nolan with a 5-1-5 line, ALL-STAR reported.

The series swung in Game 2. Liquid's Teddy stole a Lord on Aulus, but Aurora's Domeng secured the 20-minute Lord on Esmeralda and his team wiped Liquid out. Koyl added a triple kill on Hirara just past the 17-minute mark to level the series.

Game 3 was over in roughly 13 and a half minutes. Aurora won the kill count 16-1 and kept all nine of their defensive turrets standing, with Koyl going 9-1-6. Liquid fought harder in Game 4, with Sanford making several plays on Arlott, including a three-player catch at 13:34. Aurora still closed it out with a siege around the 21-minute mark, and Domeng picked up a double kill on Clint.

Aurora had already come from behind earlier in the week. They trailed Smart Omega 1-2 in their play-in series before winning 3-2 to set up the Liquid match, according to the Philippine Star.

Falcons give ONIC no chance

Falcons, last season's runners-up, never trailed against ONIC. In Game 1 they were more than 2,500 gold ahead after six minutes. Kyle finished the 19-minute win on Hirara with a 6-0-6 line and was involved in every Falcons kill.

ONIC took the second Lord in Game 2, but Falcons won the final push. In Game 3, Falcons took all three Turtles early and then used a five-versus-two advantage, backed by Lord, to finish the sweep. Kyle switched to Alice and went 2-1-12.

ONIC had needed five games to get past TNC Pro Team in their play-in series on Wednesday. They won the decider after a Lord fight that ran past 20 minutes.

What is at stake in the upper bracket final

Under the Season 18 format, the winner of the upper bracket final goes straight to the Grand Final, and both Grand Finalists qualify for M8, Indonesian outlet esports.id reported. That means Aurora or Falcons will become the first Philippine team to book a place at the world championship, which will be played in Istanbul, Türkiye, in January 2027.

Falcons are the only team Aurora failed to beat in the regular season, ALL-STAR noted. Their series was scheduled for Friday at PhilSports Arena. The loser drops into the lower bracket and gets one more chance at the second M8 slot.

Liquid's four-peat bid hangs on the lower bracket

Liquid came into the playoffs as the top seed and were chasing a fourth straight MPL PH title. To reach the Grand Final now, they must win through the lower bracket. ONIC are in the same situation. Both teams are in a double-elimination bracket, so one more series defeat ends their season.

The playoffs are scheduled to finish on 25 October. The Philippines runs on the same time zone as Malaysia, so Malaysian fans can watch the remaining matches at the same local times as Filipino viewers.

Key takeaways

• Aurora Gaming PH beat Team Liquid PH 3-1, sending the champions into the lower bracket.
• Team Falcons PH swept ONIC PH 3-0. Kyle starred on Hirara and Alice.
• The Aurora v Falcons upper bracket final decides the first Philippine M8 berth.
• Team Liquid PH and ONIC PH need lower bracket wins to keep their seasons alive.
• The playoffs at PhilSports Arena are scheduled to run until 25 October.

FAQ

Who has qualified for M8 from the Philippines so far? No team had confirmed a place when the upper bracket semi-finals finished. Both Grand Finalists qualify, and the winner of Aurora v Falcons is guaranteed a Grand Final spot.

Is Team Liquid PH out of MPL PH Season 18? No. Liquid lost to Aurora in the upper bracket, so they dropped into the lower bracket. They can still reach the Grand Final, but another series defeat would eliminate them.

Where is the M8 World Championship being held? M8 will be held in Istanbul, Türkiye, in January 2027. Each major MPL league is sending its top teams.

Sources: ALL-STAR Magazine, esports.id, Philippine Star, GMA News