Aurora Gaming PH Wins MPL Philippines Season 18, Qualifies for M8 With Team Falcons

Aurora Gaming PH defeated Team Falcons PH 4-2 in the MPL Philippines Season 18 Grand Finals on October 25, 2026, winning its first domestic league championship. The reigning Mobile Legends: Bang Bang world champions completed a comeback from a 2-1 deficit at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

Gold laner Jan Dominic "Domeng" Delmundo earned Finals MVP honors as Aurora won three consecutive games to secure the title. Despite finishing as runner-up, Team Falcons PH also qualified for the M8 World Championship, giving the Philippines two representatives at the upcoming international tournament.

Aurora opened the best-of-seven series with a victory, but Team Falcons responded by winning Games 2 and 3. The momentum appeared to favor Falcons until Aurora introduced an unusual strategy in the fourth game.

Midlaner Kenneth "Yue" Tadeo selected Estes, a support hero known for his powerful healing abilities. The unconventional midlane pick allowed Aurora to sustain its players through teamfights and secure the victory, leveling the series at 2-2.

Aurora brought Estes back in Game 5, this time giving the hero to roamer Dylan "Light" Catipon. The team maintained its aggressive approach, while Domeng delivered another strong performance to put Aurora ahead 3-2.

Team Falcons banned Estes in Game 6, but the adjustment was not enough to stop Aurora. Domeng helped Aurora dominate the deciding game on Clint, finishing with a 15-2 kill advantage to complete the 4-2 series comeback.

The result gave Aurora its first MPL Philippines championship after previously finishing as runner-up in Seasons 14 and 16.

Aurora entered the playoffs as the fourth seed after finishing the regular season with a 9-5 match record. Its championship campaign began with a narrow 3-2 victory over Omega Esports on October 21. The team then defeated defending champion Team Liquid PH 3-1 in the upper bracket semifinals. However, Team Falcons stopped Aurora's progress with a 3-2 victory in the upper bracket final on October 23.

That defeat forced Aurora into a rematch against Team Liquid in the lower bracket final. The two teams played a closely contested best-of-seven series on October 24, with Aurora eventually winning 4-3 to eliminate the defending champions.

The victory secured Aurora's M8 qualification and gave it another opportunity to face Falcons for the MPL Philippines title.

Both finalists will represent the Philippines at the M8 World Championship in Istanbul, Türkiye, in January 2027. Team Falcons PH earned the country's first qualification spot after defeating Aurora in the upper bracket final on October 23. Aurora claimed the second place the following day by eliminating Team Liquid.

The final playoff standings saw Aurora finish as champion, followed by Team Falcons in second place. Team Liquid took third, while ONIC Philippines finished fourth.

Aurora will enter M8 as the defending world champion after winning M7 in January 2026. The team now has an opportunity to defend its international title after finally adding an MPL Philippines championship to its achievements.

For Team Falcons, the tournament offers another chance to compete for a world title after consecutive runner-up finishes in MPL Philippines Seasons 17 and 18.