Did Aurora Just Use a Viral TikTok Strat?

During the Game 4 upper-bracket finals match against Team Liquid PH and Aurora last Friday, Coach Aniel “Master The Basics” Jiandani called an Ixia pick for Jan “Domengkite” Del Mundo.

There wasn’t much time left on the clock. The team was in the middle of a crucial draft where a win could make them the first team to represent the Philippines in the upcoming M7 World championships and be the first grand finalist of the MPL Philippines Season 16. And, it did happen.

Before the Ixia was picked, Coach Master the Basics called Yve for Kenneth “Yue” Tadeo, making it an Ixia-Yve pick which was seen by many on TikTok reels. However, the idea didn’t come from the platform. It came from something more important: Trust.

“Confident talaga si Domeng sa Ixia niya. Kaya kanina sinabi ko na “Sige, tiwala na lang kay Domeng,” Coach MTB shared to ALL-STAR.

The Ixia-Yve combo, which was believed to be inspired by viral clips on social media platforms, wasn’t a product of blind imitation. It was a calculated risk, one rooted in both confidence and preparation.

“Sa totoo lang, yung Ixia-Yve na combo sa tiktok ay hindi ko pa talaga nakikita. Sa tingin ko pasok lang talaga yung Ixia kanina then may Yve na kami. Siguro kung may ibang marksman, hindi natin makikita yung Ixia-Yve,” he further clarified.

Domengkite doubted it, at first.

“Noong una nag-doubt pa ako na hindi maganda iyong Ixia doon kasi naka Mathilda sila,” he also admitted to ALL-STAR.

“Inisip ko na lang talaga na mag-laning na lang doon. So ayon, nagawa ko naman siya ng maayos. Hindi naman talaga ako totally na nahirapan sa Mathilda, tamang timing lang din talaga ng pag-gamit ng ultimate.”

It was the kind of move that looked spontaneous from the outside, but inside the team it was the product of a culture that balanced structure and freedom. Coach MTB wasn’t also the type of coach to dictate every play.

“Usually kasi, binibigyan ko sila ng options. Sasabihin ko lang kung ano yung preferred ko then chine-check ko muna kung confident sila doon sa suggestion ko. Kung confident sila, go lang,” he said.

That confidence paid off. The risky pick proved to be effective.

“Dagdag idea talaga siya sa amin.”

The Ixia-Yve pick by Aurora was a small moment that says a lot about how MLBB teams now work: the intersection between data, instinct, and internet culture. Where once strategies were confined in scrim rooms and analyst desks, now they can emerge from anywhere – even a scroll on TikTok.

“Yung mga combo na nakikita sa TikTok ay dagdag idea talaga siya sa amin,” Coach MTB admitted.

“Pero syempre may mga conditions – number one, mastery ng player. Then, if confident silang gamitin, i-try talaga namin iyon sa scrims. Kung hindi nag-work, hindi namin siya ilalabas sa stage,” he continued.

In short, not everything viral deserves a spotlight. But when it works, it works.

It was the same sentiment for Domengkite, those TikTok reels aren’t just for entertainment. They’re tiny sparks of creativity that could light up what we call “Lason Picks.”

“Malaking bagay talaga yung mga ganoong cheese picks sa tiktok. Kung pasok naman sa hero lineup namin, bakit hindi ko naman sasabihin or i-suggest sa coach na pwede din naman pala gamitin iyon,” Domengkite admitted.

In the end, combo picks used by MPL players that came from viral clips on TikTok or other social media platforms wasn’t only about copying what was viral. 

It was about rediscovering the value of collaboration – the kind that happens between a coach who trusts his player and players who trust themselves and the coach’s idea.

Because sometimes, the next big idea doesn’t only come from a whiteboard plan or in the training room.

Sometimes, it starts with a scroll.