Aurora Gaming PH are the MPL Philippines Season 18 champions. They beat Team Falcons PH 4–2 in the grand final at the PhilSports Arena on Sunday 25 October, winning the last three games after trailing 2–1. It is the franchise's first MPL PH title, after losing the Season 14 and Season 16 finals. Gold laner Jan "Domeng" Del Mundo was named Finals MVP.
Aurora did it the hard way. They lost the upper bracket final to Falcons on Friday, then beat three-time champions Team Liquid PH 4–3 on Saturday to get back to the final. Before Sunday, they had not beaten Falcons all season.
How the final went
| Game | Winner | Length | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aurora Gaming PH | 14:24 | 1–0 Aurora |
| 2 | Team Falcons PH | 13:24 | 1–1 |
| 3 | Team Falcons PH | 20:41 | 2–1 Falcons |
| 4 | Aurora Gaming PH | 10:23 | 2–2 |
| 5 | Aurora Gaming PH | 12:42 | 3–2 Aurora |
| 6 | Aurora Gaming PH | — | 4–2 Aurora |
Three things that decided it
The Estes surprise. With the series at 2–1 to Falcons, Aurora drafted Estes in game 4 and won in 10:23, the shortest game of the final. They picked him again in game 5 and won again. Falcons banned Estes in game 6, but by then Aurora had the momentum, and Domeng closed it out.
Hirara in every draft. Hirara was picked or banned in all six games: Falcons played her in games 1, 3, 4 and 6, Aurora in game 5, and Falcons banned her in game 2. She has been the hero of these playoffs, appearing in every game of Liquid's sweep of ONIC too, despite her nerf in patch 2.2.16a.
Aurora's core picks. Aurora drafted Atlas in five games, Suyou in four and Barats in three, including the game 4 and game 6 wins. When Falcons left Masha open in game 4, Aurora took her and won; she was banned in every other game.
What it means
Aurora go to the M8 World Championship as Philippine champions and as defending world champions after winning M7 in January. Team Falcons PH, runners-up in Season 17 as well, are also through to M8, as are their sister team, MPL MENA champions Team Falcons. M8 begins in Bangkok in December and finishes in Istanbul in January.
The full bracket, results and standings are on the MPL Philippines Season 18 page.
Next week
- MPL Malaysia Season 18 playoffs: 28 October – 1 November
- MCC Season 8 finals: 31 October
- MPL Indonesia Season 18 playoffs: 4–8 November
Sources: results, picks and bans from the Liquipedia MPL Philippines Season 18 playoffs page (CC BY-SA 3.0); Finals MVP and context from Manila Bulletin and One Sports.
