MPL Philippines Season 15 Week 1: Rough start for Twisted Minds, Aurora take down ONIC PH

Images: MPL Philippines

MPL Philippines Season 15 started with a banger as ONIC PH's dreams of a perfect Regular Season shattered in their second match.

The Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) Philippines Season 15 Regular Season kicked off last Friday (28 February). While the opening day ended in anticlimactic fashion with the favourites standing on top, the second day proved why the league remains one of the most competitive in Mobile Legends esports. 

The reigning M6 world champions ONIC Philippines already tasted their first defeat of the season at the hands of Aurora Gaming, who shone bright this week with two crucial victories over ONIC PH and newcomers Twisted Minds PH.

However, it was Team Liquid PH that now sits atop the standings with a flawless performance so far, sweeping the league's two new contestants in Twisted Minds PH and Team Falcons PH. With two match losses, Twisted Minds PH now sit on rock bottom without a single game win to their name.

Here is the MPL Philippines Season 15 Regular Season standings by the end of Week 1:

1. Team Liquid PH (2-0) +4 Game difference (GF)
2. Aurora Gaming (2-0) +3 GF
3. ONIC Philippines (1-1) +1 GF
4. Team Falcons PH (1-1) +0 GF
5. TNC Pro Team (1-1) +0 GF
6. AP.Bren (0-1) -2 GF
7. Smart Omega (0-1) -2 GF
8. Twisted Minds PH (0-2) -4 GF

Back to the drawing board for Twisted Minds PH

One of the key developments in the first week of MPL Philippines was the horrendous start of the season from Twisted Minds PH. On paper, the team should be competitive, but two losses in two matches signify that the team needs to reevaluate their strategies in the coming weeks.

Against Aurora, Twisted Minds PH emphasised securing the mid game and snowballing into the late game. However, their opponents' early aggressiveness made it hard for them to get things going. Michael “MP the King” Endino looked uncomfortable and James “Jeymz” Gloria couldn't play aggressively, with the team stuck between forcing a fight in the mid game or continuing to farm to minimise the enemy's lead.

Things looked a bit better for Twisted Minds PH against Team Liquid PH. The new kids on the block focused their lineup on the early game, which enabled them to play more aggressively. This style suited them better as MP The King could finally shone whilst the rest only needed to follow his lead. However, their aggressiveness gave way to a chaotic playstyle that Team Liquid PH saw as a chance to mount a comeback, doing so not once but twice in the series.

Twisted Minds PH needs to return to the drawing board, fix their mid game strategy while maintaining their aggressive early game stance, and enact it against their next opponents: Team Falcons PH and TNC Pro Team.

A chance for Team Liquid PH to extend their lease on the throne

In Week 2, Team Liquid PH will meet AP.Bren and Smart Omega. Meanwhile, their nearest rival in Aurora will only play once against AP.Bren. Both teams are looking to have a relatively easy week and a chance to extend their winning ways. However, this will be a chance for Team Liquid PH to solidify their position atop the standings.

This is because Team Liquid PH will only fight ONIC PH in Week 3 while Aurora will play against TNC Pro Team and Smart Omega. Aurora are projected to win both matches, especially if they can bring their best form and maintain consistency throughout the week. Meanwhile, Team Liquid PH are looking at their biggest test yet, and they have a new lineup that might have some chemistry issues. Whether or not they can prevent this issue still remains to be seen.

MPL Philippines Season 15 will continue with Week 2 of the Regular Season on Friday (7 March). ONIC PH will meet Team Falcons PH on the opening day while Smart Omega will face Team Liquid PH to close the week.