Images: MOONTON Games
Aurora Gaming boasts some of the most talented and experienced Filipino players, but is that enough to win the M6 World Championship?
The Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) M6 World Championship is set to kick off on November 21, with 23 of the best MLBB teams from all across the world fighting to claim the lion's share of a $1 million prize pool and this year's MLBB world title. In this series, we'll be taking a look at all the teams that qualified for the Swiss Stage and their chances of becoming the 2024 MLBB world champions.
For our second entry, we take a look at 
Aurora Gaming, the Filipino superteam assembled to continue the country's MLBB dominance in the M6 World Championship.
Aurora Gaming roster:
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Jan Dominic “Domeng” Delmundo - Gold Lane![]()
Jonard Cedrix “DemonKite” Caranto - Jungler![]()
Kenneth Carl “Yue” Tadeo - Middle Lane![]()
Edward Jay “Edward” Dapadap - EXP Lane![]()
Renejay “RENEJAY” Barcarse - Roamer![]()
Ben Seloe “Benthings” Maglaque - Roamer
Jan Dominic “Domeng” DelmundoCan the Philippines' superteam deliver on their roster's promise?
Serbian organisation Aurora entered the MLBB esports scene in July with a splash, assembling a veritable superteam of some of the most talented and experienced figures in the Philippines to compete in the MLBB Professional League (MPL) Philippines Season 14.
From Blacklist International, they acquired three players in Edward, Yue, and Renejay as well as head coach Aniel "Master the Basics" Jiandani and assistant coach Dexter "Dex Star" Alaba. The former Blacklist star duo of Jonmar "OhMyV33NUS" Villaluna and Danerie "Wise" Rosario also joined Aurora, albeit as the organisation's esports and gaming content directors. Rounding out Aurora playing squad were Demonkite from RSG Philippines and Domeng from Minana EVOS.
The Aurora superteam was stacked to the gills with one M series world championship, five M series appearances, and four MPL Philippines titles between all of them. They may not have explicitly stated it as a goal, but it should go without saying that this roster was assembled with one goal in mind: claim victory in the M6 World Championship and continue the Philippines' ongoing five-year dominance over MLBB.
Despite all the talent and experience in Aurora's roster, they still had to go through some going pains. In their first tournament appearance at 1xBet Supernova in August, the team finished last in a six-team competition that featured three Filipino teams alongside squads from Russia and Mongolia.
But once MPL Philippines Season 14 rolled around a week after, Aurora hit their stride by winning their first two matches in Week 1 of the Regular Season and finishing the first half with a promising 5-2 record. However, the team faltered in the second half of the Regular Season, losing their two matches in Week 5 and finishing with an overall 8-6 record – good for the fourth seed in the Playoffs but not where you want to be as a superteam.
It seemed as if adversity drove Aurora to play their best, as they started the Playoffs by taking down MPL Philippines Season 13 champions Team Liquid PH in the Play-Ins. However, they were quickly shut down by Fnatic ONIC PH in a 3-0 sweep in the upper bracket semifinals. That set up a grudge match of sorts between Aurora and Blacklist International in the lower bracket semifinals, though Aurora cruised through their opponents in a 3-0 sweep.
Aurora then advanced to the lower bracket finals against M5 champions Falcons AP.Bren, who were determined to qualify for M6 and get the chance to defend their title. But Aurora had plans of their own in M6, as they routed Falcons AP.Bren, 4-2, to earn a rematch with Fnatic ONIC PH in the grand finals.
The grand finals looked like it would be another easy victory for Fnatic ONIC PH, as they won the first two games and built a commanding 3-1 series lead. However, Aurora roared their way back into the series by taking games five and six to force a deciding game seven. Aurora were in position to pull off the massive upset, but a resilient Fnatic ONIC PH ultimately emerged victorious to claim the MPL Philippines Season 14 championship.
Image: Aurora Gaming
While Aurora may not have captured a domestic title in their first season, they did earn an all-important spot in the M6 World Championship. And that's where their performance will really matter. A superteam will only be considered successful if they claim the world title, after all.
Aurora already have someone who's done it before in Edward, who claimed the M3 World Championship with Blacklist International and finished in the Top 3 in both M4 and M5. His experience should prove invaluable in the team's M6 campaign. Renejay and Yue were there for M5 too, so Aurora should be able to handle the pressure that comes with competing in the game's premier event.
DemonKite also has international experience, having claimed the 2022 MLBB Southeast Asia Cup title with RSG Philippines. Heck, they can even ask OhMyV33NUS and Wise for their insights if the duo are tagging along for M6.
But more than their experience alone, Aurora have also shown incredible resilience in their debut season so far. Throughout their ups-and-downs in the MPL Philippines Season 14 Regular Season and Playoffs, Aurora have responded to adversity by rising to the occasion. Not many could force Fnatic ONIC PH to a game seven after getting swept by them in a previous series, after all.
Whether you consider Aurora a true superteam or not, make no mistake, they will be one of the biggest contenders for the world title in the M6 World Championship. And, as they've shown before, they won't be going down so easily.
M6 World Championship team profiles:
The M6 World Championship will take place from November 21 to December 15 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and is split into three distinct phases: the Wildcard Stage from November 21 to 24, the Swiss Stage from November 28 to December 5, and the Knockout Stage from December 7 to 15.
Of the 23 participating teams, 15 directly qualified to the Swiss Stage while eight others will start in the Wildcard Stage, where they will fight for the 16th and final spot in the Swiss Stage. For everything you need to know about the M6 World Championship, check here.
