The first day of Week 3 delivered a heavyweight showdown between two of MPL PH Season 18’s hottest teams, but it was ONIC who emerged victorious, completing a thrilling come‑from‑behind 2‑1 victory against TNC on September 4.
Zehn and TNC Draw First Blood
Both squads were aggressive from the opening minutes of Game 1, but TNC slowly gained the upper hand behind strong plays from Zehn and Ryota.
ONIC answered emphatically at the seven‑minute mark. After Kingkong successfully secured the final Turtle, they pushed their advantage further by eliminating four TNC members, turning the game in their favor.
The Super Family maintained the upper hand during the initial Lord contest, but the Phoenix refused to bow down, holding their ground in the ensuing clash. That resilience, however, crumbled the moment SuperFrince’s Selena punished a split‑second mispositioning by Jowm—sniping him with a lethal Abyssal Arrow for an instant pickoff. The Monster Mage stayed dialed in from there, landing arrow after arrow to hand his team two more kills alongside the undisputed Lord capture.
At that point, it looked like clear sailing for ONIC. Holding a 10‑5 kill advantage and a 5k gold lead heading into the next Lord, the game was firmly in their hands. But Zehn had other ideas. As Kirk marched forward, he left ONIC’s backline completely exposed. Zehn seized the opportunity, entering from an unusual angle to catch Savero with his Badang and allowing his team to pick him off. SuperFrince was quickly brought down next, which handed the Lord and the momentum to TNC.
Zehn didn’t stop there. Moments later, he found the ultimate ambush spot in the bottom lane. With Kingkong completely unaware of his position, Zehn caught him clean with a devastating Fist Crack, instantly melting ONIC’s primary carry. Sensing blood, TNC surged forward to punish the remaining members. Though down a player, the Super Family initially put up a stubborn fight. But Zehn delivered the final dagger—catching Savero once again to eliminate ONIC’s damage dealer and seal the impressive Game 1 victory for TNC.
ONIC Hits Reset and Takes Command
Despite their Game 1 collapse, ONIC pressed right back in Game 2 and quickly took control of the map. They were comfortably ahead in the second Turtle and forced TNC on the retreat. ONIC, however, pushed forward looking to extend their advantage. That decision backfired hard when Jowm arrived on the scene. With a perfectly placed Blazing Duet, he shredded through ONIC’s members, completely flipping the fight and handing the Phoenix three massive kills.
TNC rode that momentum into the mid‑game, securing the final Turtle and winning a clean skirmish to pull back into contention. But ONIC refused to give up control. They found a huge answer at the first Lord contest, with Kingkong outclassing TNC to claim the objective. ONIC then went on the offensive, chaining key pickoffs across the map, highlighted by Kingkong’s solo kill on Zaida at the 10‑minute mark. Methodically picking TNC apart in their next fights, ONIC locked in the victory to level the series at 1‑1.
From there, the Super Family just kept rolling. They seized control of Game 3 early, racking up three quick kills and relentlessly building their lead over the next few minutes. Unlike in the earlier games, TNC had no answer this time. The deciding moment came near the nine‑minute mark when Kirk delivered a nice setup on Sora, catching three members of TNC. Kingkong followed up instantly on Hirara, dealing massive damage that led to a full five‑man wipeout for ONIC. Shortly after, they wrapped up the comeback win with a lopsided 12‑1 kill score and an enormous 11k gold lead.
Kingkong was awarded Match MVP for his steady performances on Hirara throughout the three‑game set. Beyond his elite objective control, the star jungler delivered lethal assassin play—posting a respectable 3‑1‑5 line in Game 1 before putting on a masterclass with an immaculate 12‑0‑11 total KDA over the final two matches.
Meanwhile, SuperFrince delivered his signature high‑level play. He was a problem on Selena in the first two games before anchoring the team in Game 3, securing Game MVP with an unblemished 3‑0‑7 performance on Novaria. The rest of the team also stepped up to the challenge, with Kirk, SuperYoshi, and Savero showcasing their flexibility and proving ONIC’s versatility across different draft compositions.
Post‑game, Kingkong reflected on TNC’s Game 1 victory, stating that ONIC wasn’t surprised by the outcome, since TNC merely took advantage of their errors. For Savero, the solution was simple: they just needed to adjust starting with the draft, reset, and lock back in—which is exactly what they did in the final two games. With the win, ONIC remains firmly atop the standings and keeps their perfect record intact at 5‑0.
