In the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang multiverse, “Pinas lang ang malakas” has long ceased to be bravado and has quietly matured into doctrine.
At M7, the USD1-million MLBB World Championship in Indonesia, Aurora Gaming PH supplied the latest proof, dismantling home-crowd favorites Alter Ego and reminding everyone that no patch notes have yet nerfed Filipino hands.
Before Sunday night’s coronation, Filipino teams had already claimed 5 straight MLBB world titles, turning global dominance into routine. Indonesia, winner of the inaugural edition, was hoping Alter Ego could finally break the spell and deliver a second crown on home soil.
Aurora wasted no time dashing any Indonesian hopes of triumph.
It was not a vibes-based run fueled by noise and momentum. It was structure, patience, and ruthless clarity. Aurora topped the knockout stages early, then calmly redirected Malaysia’s Selangor Red Giants into the losers bracket, where seven elite teams were left brawling for the right to face Aurora again—this time under the unforgiving arithmetic of a best-of-seven final.
Alter Ego arrived battle-hardened. On Saturday alone, they survived Team Liquid PH—champions of MSC 2025 and Southeast Asian Games gold medalists—in a grueling five-game series, then turned around to dispatch Selangor in four. Momentum was real. The crowd was deafening. Aurora’s response was silence, followed by precision.
Coached by the dynamic duo of Aniel “Master the Basics” Jiandani and Dexter “Dex Star” Alaba, Aurora delivered a masterclass in fundamentals, sweeping the best-of-seven finals. The exclamation point came in Game Four, wrapped up in just 11 minutes—a rarity at the professional level and a blunt statement of control.
Powering the run was a lineup built for pressure: EXP laner Edward Jay Dapadap, jungler Jonard Cedrix “Demonkite” Caranto, midlaner Kenneth Carl “Yue” Tadeo, gold laner Jan Dominic “Domengkite” Delmundo, and roamer Dylan Aaron “Light” Poblete Catipon, the final piece added in August last year. Edward, Demonkite, Yue, and Domengkite joined in July 2024, two years after the Philippine franchise of Aurora Gaming, a Serbian esports organization, was formed.
Light was emotional when he was named M7 Finals Most Valuable Player. he paid tribute to the team’s relentless hard work, sleepless nights, and the time lost that could have been spent with his girlfriend.
“I am finally a champion—a world champion,” exclaimed Yue, who had appeared in the MLBB World Championship three times before. This fourth attempt, he said, finally proved to be the charm.
Organized by Moonton, M7 capped the 2025 season with 22 teams chasing a USD350,000 winner’s share. The field stretched from Southeast Asia and China to Latin America, Turkey, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Middle East and North Africa. Japan returned for the first time since M2, while North America sat out following a regional pause.
Delayed by the Southeast Asian Games, where MLBB now earns medals, the tournament finally arrived. The meta bends. The maps twist. And still, the ending is written in bold letters: Filipinos reign supreme
