Aurora PH clinch top seed after surviving TNC’s challenge in MPL PH Season 16

Aurora PH’s march through MPL Philippines Season 16 hit another milestone as the Northern Lights secured the coveted No. 1 playoff seed with a gritty 2-1 triumph over TNC Pro Team on Sunday, October 5, at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati.

The win marked Aurora’s 11th straight victory, underscoring their dominance in the league while also exposing the cracks they’re eager to patch before the playoffs.

“I think medyo nahirapan din kami kasi prepared talaga sila sa amin, so isa na naman yon sa mga i-aadjust namin,” said head coach Anniel “Master the Basics” Jiandani, admitting that TNC’s game plan forced them to rethink some of their habits. “Sa totoo lang gusto talaga namin malaman kung ano ba yung butas sa ginagawa namin.”

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Geared for a challenge vs TLPH and ONIC PH, but it went smooth sailing for us.

Link in the replies. pic.twitter.com/JV2H7yctjW

— Aurora Gaming MLBB (@auroraggmlbb) October 4, 2025

Game 1 unfolded like a chess match, with both sides trading blows until TNC’s four-man wipe in the 10th minute gave them control of the map. But Aurora’s veterans held their ground, turning the tide when Edward “Edward” Dapdap (Arlott) pulled off a devastating Flicker-Final Slash that set up Dominic “Domengkite” Delmundo’s (Wanwan) Crossbow of Tang to close the game.

TNC bounced back in Game 2, flipping the script by targeting Edward’s Uranus and consistently punishing Aurora’s frontline. Joshua “Ch4knu” Mangilog (Akai) stole the spotlight with a clutch Flicker-Heavy Spin that locked down Jonard “Demonkite” Caranto’s Lancelot, while Zaida (Yi Sun-shin) piled on with a Mountain Shocker snipe to drag the series into a decider.

 With the series on the line, Aurora tightened their rotations in Game 3, leaning on Light’s (Badang) initiations to dominate objective fights. The decisive moment came at the 14th-minute Lord push when Kenneth “Yue” Tadeo’s (Yve) Real World Manipulation trapped four TNC players, paving the way for Edward’s Lapu-Lapu to clean up with a Bravest Fighter combo. The wipeout sealed Aurora’s 11th victory and the league’s top seed.

Now sitting at 11-1, Aurora head into their final regular-season test against defending champions AP.Bren on Friday, October 10 — a clash that could set the tone for the playoffs and prove just how playoff-ready the Northern Lights really are.

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