ONIC PH Sets Sights on Reclaiming Top Seed Against Team Liquid

ONIC Philippines will fight to reclaim the No. 1 seed, but standing in its way is three-time defending champion Team Liquid PH in the Week 4 Saturday triple-header of MPL Philippines Season 18.

The “Golden Rivalry” carries two contrasting ambitions: ONIC aims to reclaim its throne, while Team Liquid PH looks to defend its place at the top.

As the first half of the regular season comes to a close, both teams are looking to make a statement as frontrunners on the road to the M8 World Championship.

The Road Back to the Top
For 3 weeks, the No. 1 seed belonged to ONIC PH—until the Falcons finally forced them off course.

Team Falcons PH lived up to its “Streakbreakers” reputation in Week 3, completing a 2-1 reverse sweep that ended ONIC’s perfect 5-0 run.

The loss opened the door for Team Liquid PH to claim the No. 1 seed.

Now, the Super Family has a chance to take it back.

But standing in their way is the Cavalry, riding into the “Golden Rivalry” with five consecutive 2-0 sweeps.

Both ONIC PH and Team Liquid enter the clash with identical 5-1 records, but the Cavalry holds the edge in game differential, +9 to ONIC’s +7.

Only two games separate them in game differential.

For ONIC, the climb to the top seemed almost effortless before the Falcons finally exposed a crack.

The loss cost the Super Family the No. 1 seed—but it may have also given them the fuel they need to reclaim it.

Meanwhile, Team Liquid has been charging forward.

Five consecutive sweeps have propelled the defending champions to the top, giving them the momentum they need heading into their biggest test yet.

A Rivalry Forged in Gold
The race for the top spot tells only half the story, with another fierce battle waiting in the gold lane.

On one side stands Clayton “Savero” Kuswanto, the Indonesian import who made history in Season 17 as the first import player in MPL Philippines.

In his debut season, Savero helped ONIC PH finish third while earning spots on both the Season 17 All-Star Team 2 and the Fans’ All-Star Team.

Now in his sophomore campaign, he has become one of the Super Family’s most dangerous weapons.

Across the battlefield stands Dave “Teddy” Viana, who entered Season 17 as a rookie and immediately became an MPL champion with Team Liquid PH.

His rise did not stop there. Teddy also earned a spot as a Sibol MLBB National Athlete for 2026, further cementing his status among the country’s rising stars.

The “Golden Rivalry” pits two of the league’s most lethal gold laners against each other, with Savero and Teddy both looking to turn their individual firepower into victory for their teams.

Momentum Meets Redemption
The race for No. 1 sets the stakes, but beneath the standings lies a battle between momentum and redemption.

ONIC is coming off its first setback of the season, desperate to prove that the Falcons’ reverse sweep was only a stumble.

Team Liquid, meanwhile, enters with five straight sweeps and the confidence of a defending champion that has rediscovered its stride.

For the Super Family, victory means reclaiming the throne. For the Cavalry, it means proving they belong on top.

Can the Super Family bounce back to reclaim the No. 1 seed, or will the Cavalry remain atop the standings in their “Golden Rivalry” clash this Saturday?