Twisted Minds pulled off a surprising 2-1 victory over reigning world champions Onic in a grueling Game 3 battle during MPL Philippines Season 16, despite missing their star jungler Michael “MPtheKing” Endino due to health issues. The win improved Twisted Minds’ record to 4-2, while Onic fell to 3-2.
Head coach Kristoffer “BON CHAN” Ricaplaza explained, “At the holding area, that’s where the safety officers checked on the condition of MP because he was feeling bad so we told him not to force it… He wanted to push through. I said if he forces it it might get worse.”
Sixth man Stephen “Sensui” Castillo stepped up with a steady performance, especially on his crucial Akai pick, helping the team survive a marathon 25-minute Game 3. Sensui said, “For me, I’m just excited to be able to play because even if I’m the sixth man, I never stopped playing… I feel like I’m able to play my role even if MP is sick.”
The match saw intense back-and-forth action, including a key Lord steal by Onic’s gold laner Duane “Kelra” Pillas. However, Twisted Minds executed a massive defensive play, securing the Lord and winning team fights that led to an uncontested Lord and a final push to lock down the upset victory against the M6 world champions.