The runners-up of both MPL Philippines and MPL Indonesia clashed in the second round of the upper bracket Knockout Stage, but it was Aurora Gaming PH who advanced to the semifinals of the M7 Knockout Stage with a 3-1 win against Alter Ego on January 21.
Strong Start for Aurora Gaming
The marquee matchup delivered as expected, featuring an explosive start to Game 1. Alter Ego attempted to dictate the tempo early, but the strategy backfired when their jungler, Yazukee, overextended and got punished for it. RORA continued their solid start, securing the first Turtle, but AE evened things out thanks to a double kill from mid-laner Hijume.
A second clash erupted at the next Turtle, where AE initially held the better position. However, Edward, on the Lapu-Lapu, found a perfect initiation, allowing Aurora to eliminate Yazukee and secure two more takedowns. With the lead in their hands, Aurora Gaming forced a clash at the 11-minute mark. RORA initially had the upper hand, but AE’s Arfy and Hijume turned the fight around, dealing massive damage. But Edward refused to go down, anchoring the fight and resulting in a five-man sweep for Aurora.
Just as Aurora Gaming seemed to take control, the narrative shifted again during the Lord contest. AE managed to perfectly find and eliminate Demonkite, allowing them to steal the Lord, while Hijume went on a rampage, securing three takedowns. Alone against four, Edward fought hard to buy his team time, but AE eventually completed the wipeout and took the lead.
That advantage was short-lived, however, as EXP laner Nino went alone against four Aurora Gaming members. He paid the price, resulting in both him and Arfy being taken down. From there, Aurora never looked back—stringing together a decisive five-man wipeout to seal Game 1. Edward spearheaded the charge with a dominant Lapu-Lapu performance, posting a 6-2-10 stat line and handing Alter Ego their first loss after a perfect 6–0 start to the tournament.
Alter Ego Recovers—and Gives RORA a Scare
It was a completely different story in Game 2, with Alter Ego coming out guns blazing and looking like the team that went undefeated in the tournament. They dominated the early game and secured a four-man takedown in the Lord contest around the 9-minute mark. Aurora still managed to defend, but in the next Lord fight, Arfy shut the door, securing a Maniac, or a four-man takedown, to tie the series at 1-1. Nino was the undisputed X-factor of the match, with a clinical 4-1-3 performance on Yu Zhong.
Game 3 didn’t start out well for Aurora Gaming, with fans visibly frustrated by the team’s draft. For a while, the skeptics seemed right—Alter Ego seized the early lead with a 4–2 scoreline. But despite being at a perceived disadvantage on paper, RORA made the composition work, seizing control of the crucial Lord fight at the 9-minute mark. They kept the momentum swinging, picking off two AE members and extending their gold lead to nearly 5K. Aurora maintained control from there, while Light continued to set up perfect plays that secured the win and put Aurora at match point.
It was a balanced start to Game 4, but Alter Ego, desperate to extend the series, pushed the tempo. At the 6-minute mark, they found a perfect pick-off on Domeng, immediately following it up with two more takedowns. AE maintained a firm grip on the lead as Arfy went Unstoppable on Granger, boasting a 5-0-5 KDA early on. Meanwhile, Yazukee terrorized the map with his signature Fanny, executing fast, surgical plays that kept Aurora on the defensive. By the 14-minute mark, Alter Ego looked untouchable. They held a massive 8K gold lead and secured a free Lord. But despite the overwhelming deficit, RORA defended perfectly. Both Demonkite and Domeng stepped up in the skirmishes and extended the game.
Aurora Gaming Seals the Deal
The turning point came when Edward, on Sora, caught Arfy out of position, finally shutting down AE’s gold laner. Though Nino managed to trade back onto Yue, he found himself isolated and was quickly collapsed upon.
The final Lord fight broke out at the 17-minute mark, but it was Demonkite who secured the objective this time. Simultaneously, Domeng played fearlessly on Claude, diving deep into the backline to shred Arfy’s health before Edward moved in for the finish. He then helped take down an escaping Nino to seal a clean four-man wipe. With only Yazukee left to defend against the Lord and four Aurora members, the outcome was inevitable. Aurora secured both the win and the series.
With the victory, RORA moves on to the upper bracket finals, setting up a showdown with Selangor Red Giants, who defeated Team Liquid PH back in the Swiss Stage, 2-1, and edged past their sister squad, Aurora Türkiye, in a tense 3–2 series. The result also guarantees Aurora a top-three finish at M7, marking a strong redemption after their early exit in M6.
Alter Ego, on the other hand, suffered their first series loss of the tournament, dropping to the lower bracket, where they will face the winner between Team Spirit and Yangon Galacticos.
