TLPH, Team Falcons PH Renew Rivalry in MPL PH S18 Opener
The Philippines was reminded at MSC 2026 that even its greatest champions can fall. Now, the road to redemption begins as defending champion Team Liquid PH and runner-up Team Falcons PH renew their rivalry this Friday at Victoria Sports Tower to open MPL Philippines Season 18.
Team Liquid PH, regarded as the “Final Boss” of international MLBB, suffered a shocking early exit without winning a single game while Falcons carried the country’s last hopes before settling for fourth place in MSC.
Different storylines, but the same burning desire to bounce back. With the M8 World Championship on the horizon, both Philippine powerhouses begin a new campaign with everything to prove—and a chance to show that the Philippines’ reign on the international stage is far from over.
Even the strongest bleeds
Team Liquid PH enters the new season as the team to beat after making history in Season 17 as the first team to win three consecutive MPL Philippines championships, completing its unprecedented three-peat from Seasons 15 to 17.
But its aura of invincibility took a major hit at the recently concluded MLBB Mid Season Cup (MSC) 2026, where the reigning champions suffered a stunning group-stage exit without winning a single game against Aurora Gaming Turkiye and South America’s Entity 7.
For a team long regarded as the “Final Boss” of the international MLBB scene, the abrupt collapse served as a reminder that even the most dominant teams can bleed.
The setback was a stark departure from the standard Liquid had established over the past three seasons, particularly after lifting the MSC trophy in 2025.
Meanwhile, Team Falcons PH carried the Philippines’ last hopes at MSC 2026 after the country’s other representatives fell early. The Falcons eventually settled for fourth place after falling to ONIC Indonesia in the battle for third.
Although the result fell short of their championship aspirations, the deep international run gave the Falcons valuable experience—and another reason to come back stronger.
Now, the two sides return to familiar territory, but with very different points to prove.
Redemption starts now
For the three-time champions, Season 18 offers a chance to put the MSC disappointment behind them and reassert their dominance on the domestic stage.
They will also have to navigate a rapidly evolving competitive landscape, with the post-MSC meta forcing teams to rethink their strategies, drafts, and approaches.
The Falcons, meanwhile, have a simpler objective: finish what they started.
After falling short against Liquid in the previous season, the runners-up will look to finally dethrone their rivals and capture the MPL Philippines crown that has eluded them.
That makes their opening-day clash more than just another regular-season matchup. It serves as an early test of how both teams have responded to their MSC setbacks—and whether their adjustments to the evolving meta can immediately translate into results.
More importantly, Friday’s showdown could provide an early glimpse into their respective paths toward M8.
The race to the World Championship begins anew, and the question is no longer simply who will rule the Philippines.
Can Liquid restore its status as the “Final Boss,” or will Falcons finally dethrone the three-time champions?
Unfinished business
The opening day also features another intriguing matchup as Aurora Gaming PH takes on ONIC Philippines.
The reigning M7 World Champions will be out for revenge against ONIC PH, which eliminated Aurora early in last season’s playoffs and denied the defending champions a deeper postseason run.
Aurora, however, will enter the new season with a significantly revamped lineup. EXP laner Edward “Edward” Dapadap retired from professional MLBB, while jungler Cedrix “DemonKite” Caranto moved to Indonesia to join RRQ Hoshi.
In their place, Aurora brought back EXP laner Nathanael “Nathzz” Estrologo, who returns to the MPL Philippines after his stint with Alpha 7, and added Cambodian jungler Kyle “Koyl” Reyes from Pro Esports.
Aurora’s return to the MPL stage comes with another major objective: rebuilding its campaign toward the next M-Series. ONIC PH raises the stakes even higher as it looks to build on its grueling best-of-five play-in victory that ended Aurora’s playoff run last season.
ONIC, meanwhile, will look to build on that previous success and establish itself as another major contender in Season 18.
With two blockbuster matchups on the opening day, MPL Philippines Season 18 wastes no time reminding everyone what is at stake.
The road to M8 begins with old rivalries, new challenges, and two Philippine giants looking to prove that the country’s reign on the international stage is far from over.
