THE Philippines brought another Esports world championship home.
Team Liquid Philippines dethroned Malaysia’s Selangor Red Giants, 4-1, in a dominant finale to win an elusive Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) Mid-Season Cup (MSC) at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Sanford Marin “Sanford” Vinuya led the way for the Finals MVP plum as the Philippine bet finally avenged its back-to-back semifinal finish in 2023 and 2024 without dropping a single series in the 16-nation joust.
It’s the first MSC crown for Team Liquid and fourth overall for the country after Aether Main (2018), Execration (2021) and RSG Philippines (2022).
Backstopping Sanford were Karl Gabriel “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno, Alston “Sanji” Pabico, Jaypee “Jaypee” Gonzales Dela Cruz and Kiel Calvin “OHEB” Soriano in a perfect campaign for Team Liquid, which will represent the country in the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Bangkok in December.
KarlTzy, with four MPL championships, two M-Series titles and one SEA Games gold medal, will try to shoot for his second biennial gold mint to boost his claim as the greatest Filipino Esports player in history.
Team Liquid at home last June beat ONIC Philippines, 4-3, in an epic finale to win the MLBB Professional League Philippines (MPL) Season 15 powered by Smart Communications and qualify into the Esports World Cup.
After that, Team Liquid also swept the SIBOL national team selection for SEA Games to earn the spot before adding another feather in its cap with a World Cup crown.
Another local bet in ONIC, for its part, secured the bronze medal with a 3-2 win over sibling club ONIC Indonesia.
It was ONIC which delivered the country’s five-peat in the MLBB World Champion, also called as M-Series, last December after a 4-1 win against Team Liquid Indonesia as the Philippines remained as a powerhouse in the world Esports scene.
A total of 26 online games are being played in the Esports World Cup with more Filipino squads expected to win more titles. — John Bryan Ulanday
