The “Golden Road” represents the ultimate dream—not only in MLBB but in every corner of the esports landscape. To achieve it, a team must win every major tournament within a single calendar year. Many have come close, including four legendary teams in MLBB history, but none has done it.
Team Liquid Philippines seemed destined for greatness after securing back-to-back domestic titles in MPL Philippines S15 and S16, followed by a dominant championship run at the 2025 Mid-Season Cup. However, Indonesia’s Alter Ego, the “Giant Killers,” ensured the Golden Road remained just a dream for the Cavalry. In a stunning upset, Alter Ego eliminated Team Liquid with a 3–2 victory in the M7 Knockout Stage Lower Bracket Semifinals on January 24.
Game 1 Starts Off with a Surprise
The series kicked off with a surprise as both sides unveiled unusual picks in Game 1: Team Liquid locked in Tigreal, while Alter Ego secured Kagura. Despite the unconventional drafts, Alter Ego adjusted faster, winning the initial team fight and allowing Yazukee, on Joy, to secure a crucial early double kill.
El Familia kept pushing the action to extend their lead. The Cavalry tried to counter the aggression, setting up plays of their own, but AE always seemed one step ahead at every turn. Team Liquid was forced onto the defensive in the following minutes, and by then, AE’s snowball was simply too overwhelming.
Team Liquid Bounces Back Quickly
Game 2 was very Liquid-coded, with Sanji bringing out his signature Luo Yi while Jaypee locked in Chip. With that composition, TLPH had a clear advantage in map control—and they showed it early. However, El Familia kept things competitive after getting the upper hand in most of the team fights. EXP laner Nino was a major problem on Esmeralda, picking up four early kills.
TLPH finally found their breakthrough at the nine-minute mark when Sanji positioned perfectly for a Diversion, catching mid-laner Hijumee off guard, which resulted in a takedown. From there, the Cavalry seized control of the game and evened the series, 1–1.
Team Liquid Surges Ahead
In Game 3, the young GOAT Karltzy turned the entire map into his playground. Leading the charge, he opened with a flawless 3-0-3 start on Leomord, putting TLPH ahead. A fight broke out near the eight-minute mark, where AE initially had the upper hand—but Karltzy wreaked havoc in the backlines, cutting down opponents one by one to secure a triple kill. Nino tried to get away, but the Babycakes duo shut the door, completing the wipeout.
With the lead in hand, the Cavalry looked to force initiation moments later. However, Sanford overextended, leading to a swift takedown. Capitalizing on the man advantage, AE launched a counterattack and picked off three more members of TLPH. Left alone in a one-versus-five, the young GOAT refused to fold, taking down two opponents before finally being shut down by Hijumee.
Despite the fight back from AE, they still had no answer for Karltzy. In the next Lord fight, he survived through heavy damage and nearly secured a Maniac, capping off a second full team wipe. At that point, there was no stopping Karltzy as the Cavalry cruised to match point.
Alter Ego Finishes Strong
In Game 4, AE made sure Karltzy wouldn’t get his hands on Leomord again, locking it in as the first pick. TLPH turned to their comfort heroes, with Karltzy shifting to a utility role on Akai while Sanji once again piloted Luo Yi. However, AE’s powerhouse picks proved their worth. El Familia surged ahead early, built an overwhelming advantage, and never looked back, tying the series at 2–2.
Game 5 was already a fierce battle before the game even started. TLPH got what they wanted with the draft, getting Leomord on Karltzy once more and having the perfect composition to counter AE’s setup. But Alter Ego had one last trick up their sleeve—locking in Cici as the final pick and sending Uranus into the jungle to potentially avoid the mismatches.
That strategy backfired in the opening minutes as Karltzy reigned supreme, securing five early kills. Team Liquid held a comfortable lead in the following minutes, but the tide began to turn during the next Lord fight. Nino, on Cici, started to emerge as a major threat, while Yazukee’s Uranus became increasingly difficult to bring down as Alter Ego secured the objective.
From that point on, Team Liquid’s draft weaknesses became more apparent. They lacked the damage to cut through Alter Ego’s frontline and didn’t have enough durable heroes to survive extended fights. While TLPH fought hard and tried to prolong the game, there was ultimately little they could do as Alter Ego closed out the series.
Alter Ego Next Faces Aurora Gaming
With the win, El Familia advanced to the Lower Bracket Finals and also eliminated the Selangor Red Giants, 3–1, in the process. They will now face another Philippine representative, Aurora Gaming PH, in the Grand Finals, scheduled for later today at 7:00 PM Philippine time.
Team Liquid, meanwhile, concluded their campaign in 4th place.
