After opening the M7 World Championship with a loss to Team Liquid PH in a best-of-one showdown, the Northern Lights flipped the switch and never looked back. Aurora surged through the rest of the group stage, winning their next three games to punch their ticket to the next round.
In the knockout stage, they faced Team Liquid once again. This time, however, the story was different. Aurora rose to the challenge, shutting down the MSC and MPL Philippines defending champions in a hard-fought 2–1 series to continue their run through the Upper Bracket.
Riding that momentum, the Northern Lights outclassed Indonesia’s Alter Ego, 3–1, in the following round before being pushed to their limit by the Malaysian kings Selangor Red Giants. In a thrilling back-and-forth battle that went the full distance, Aurora held their nerve and sealed their place in the championship round.
Shining brightest when it mattered most, Aurora left every setback behind them and silenced the doubters once and for all. They defeated Indonesia’s Alter Ego once again to capture the M7 World Championship title on Sunday and secure the organization’s best finish in the sport. Aurora also avenged their fellow Philippine representatives, Team Liquid PH, who saw their campaign end in fourth place after a narrow 3–2 loss to Alter Ego in the Lower Bracket Semifinals.
Vindication for Aurora
The win also cemented a perfect redemption arc for Aurora following their early exit from M6. Many believed that the team would struggle more after losing their previous roamer the following year. But instead, they struck gold, finding a championship-caliber replacement in Dylan “Light” Catipon. Light proved to be the missing piece needed to elevate the roster to its record-breaking finish.
After proving his worth in Indonesia with Bigetron Alpha, Light returned to the Philippines to finish what he started. Rising to the occasion on the biggest stage, he anchored the Northern Lights with clinical, high-impact plays throughout the series—rightfully earning Finals MVP honors. Light now becomes the second consecutive roamer to return from a stint in Indonesia only to win an M-Series title in the Philippines—following Brusko’s M6 triumph with Fnatic ONIC PH.
At the heart of Aurora’s success was his ever-reliable partnership with jungler Jonard “Demonkite” Caranto. The duo has now won every major MLBB title together, adding this M-Series crown to their MSC 2022 and MPL PH Season 9 championships with RSG PH.
Yue, the Uncrowned Prince No More, and Dapdap, One of the Best Ever
For Kenneth “Yue” Tadeo, however, the victory carried a different kind of weight. After years of near-misses—including a 4–2 loss to ONIC ID at MSC 2023, a third-place finish at M5, and multiple runner-up finishes in MPL Philippines—Yue finally shed the “Uncrowned Prince” label. At last, he could call himself a champion on the grandest stage of all.
Meanwhile, Edward Jay Dapdap continues to solidify his case as one of the greatest to ever play the game, securing his second M-Series title. Mr. Consistent lived up to his moniker once again, providing the veteran leadership and stability the Northern Lights needed while still delivering the explosive plays that defined the series.
Jan “Domeng” Del Mundo also made a statement of his own. After struggling in international competitions last year, he successfully redeemed himself with a much more confident showing this season. His growth as a gold-laner was a key factor in the team’s success, proving he can compete and win at the highest level.
In the end, Aurora’s triumph served as another reminder of Philippine dominance on the global stage. With this victory, the region extended its reign to six consecutive M-Series championships, reaffirming the Philippines as the gold standard in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
