MLBB: Aurora Gaming silences Alter Ego to rule M7 

JAKARTA —  Aurora Gaming became the light that ended its dark ages, humbling hometown bet Alter Ego, 4-0, to capture the M7 World Championship on Sunday at the Tennis Indoor Senayan.

Aurora defied the odds and overcame the Indonesian powerhouse, who have ousted two champions in Team Liquid and SRG to enter the grand finale.

With the win, Aurora extended the Philippines’ MLBB supremacy as the country captured its sixth straight world title and shattered Indonesia’s title dream for the third time in a row.

“Sobrang saya lang kasi nakabawi na kami sa mga boss namin, sa lahat ng tao na naniwala sa’min at sumuporta sa amin,” Aurora head coach  Aniel “Master the Basics” Jiandani said.

“Thankful kami sa kanila kasi hindi sila bumiyaw kahit na hindi pa kami nananalo.”

Before this triumph, Aurora’s path was haunted by almosts and what ifs.

In their debut in MPL Philippines Season 14, Aurora made waves right away and reached the grand finals stage. But they fell to Onic Philippines in a seven-game series to bow out.

Still, they booked a ticket to M6 World Championship in Malaysia, where they absorbed an early exit.

They would once again reach the MPL Season 16 finals as the top-seeded team, but got torched by Team Liquid with a 0-4 loss.

But they finally got to break the curse and prove they belong among the best of the best.

After learning from Team Liquid and SRG’s losses to Alter Ego on Saturday, Aurora shut down the Indonesian club’s deadly Freya pick for the entire series, a move that eventually paid off for the Filipinos.

Roamer Dylan “Light” Catipon shone in the opening fram with his Hylos, dropping three kills and 10 assists before his 1/1/11 KDA on Chou in Game Three allowed Aurora to clinch the match point at 3-0.

Aurora never looked back since then.

A Fury of the Phoenix from Kenneth “Yue” Tadeo’s Zetian set up Demonkite’s (Leomord) crucial pick-off on Arfy (Granger) during a top lane clash at 11th minute.

Light, this time using Khaleed, then took down Nino’s Phoveus before exp laner Edward “Edward” Dapadap (Lapu-Lapu) completed the wipeout by slaying Hijumee’s Zhuxin.

Despite incoming respawns from Alter Ego, Aurora Gaming committed to the tower lock to complete the clean victory.

Aurora closed out the tournament on a seven-game winning streak, closing out the Swiss Stage with a 3-1 card before dominating the upper bracket with four victories.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News