"Never say die."
ONIC Philippines remained in contention at the MSC x EWC after eliminating Malaysian squad Homebois, 2-0, in a do-or-die Lower Bracket match on July 27 in Riyadh.
The Filipino sensations bounced back in style during the Group Stage, shaking off a loss to Aurora Türkiye with a statement win that reignited their playoff hopes.
“There was some lack of chemistry and decision-making inside the game,” said ONIC PH’s King Cyric “K1NGKONG” Perez on his insights during their match against Aurora.
Grant “Kelra” Pillas delivered a Granger masterclass in the series, followed by a no-death game two performance with six kills and six assists.
Homebois struck first in the early game, but the Hedgehogs responded with control, pulling ahead in gold and closing game one behind a clutch triple kill from Kelra.
ONIC PH wrapped up the series with a dominant late-game clash in game two, as K1NGKONG secured a crucial double kill and Kelra extended his streak, wiping out the Malaysians to seal the sweep.
Vincentsius “IVANN” Adrianto stood tall for the Malaysians despite the defeat, spearheading key clashes with his Kalea and Gatotkaca picks, but his efforts were not enough to turn the tide.
Meanwhile, sister team ONIC Indonesia cruised to a convincing 2–0 sweep against Virtus.Pro, booking their place in the MSC Playoffs and bouncing back from a reverse-sweep heartbreak against Team Liquid Philippines.
Kairi “Kairi” Rayosdelsol shined throughout the series with his skillset on tank junglers, anchoring the Sonic’s teamfight that steered his squad to a convincing sweep.
The opening game was a one-sided affair, with ONIC going full throttle as Kairi led the charge on his signature Baxia, limiting the Armenian squad to just two kills throughout the match.
Virtus.Pro (VP) nearly forced a deadlock in the late game, but the Indonesians held firm as Clayton “Savero” Kuswanto hit a clutch triple kill to end the final clash and complete the sweep.
Jungler Andrew “Andoryuuu” Lew Flora of VP initiated the team throughout the series but was cut short by the yellow hedgehogs.
With both sonic squads now advancing to the Top 8, ONIC PH is set for a high-stakes clash against Team Spirit, while ONIC ID prepares to battle Mythic SEAL in the next phase of the Knockout Stage.
