Aurora Gaming PH punched their ticket to the playoffs after completing a 2-0 sweep of Team Spirit in Round 4 of the M7 World Championship Swiss Stage on Thursday at the MPL Arena XO Hall in Jakarta, Indonesia.
It was a moment of redemption for Aurora, who suffered a heartbreaking Swiss Stage elimination during the M6 World Championship in Malaysia more than a year ago.
This time, the Filipino squad bounced back from an opening-day loss to compatriots Team Liquid PH, winning their next three matches to become the fourth team at M7 to secure a spot in the playoffs.
In Game 1, Team Spirit dominated early, building a lead of up to 12,000 net worth by the 12th minute.
However, Jonard “Demonkite” Caranto (Yi Sun Shin) sparked a turnaround with four kills late in the 12th minute, triggering a 4-for-2 trade that cut the deficit to just 1,100.
As Team Spirit tried to regain control, Edward “Edward” Dapadap (Sora) and Jan “Domengkite” Delmundo (Harith) emerged as the heroes. Their performance in the 19th-minute lord fight forced a decisive teamfight that ended in a 5-for-0 wipeout, giving Aurora a 1-0 lead.
In Game 2, Dylan “Light” Catipon rose to the occasion, guiding Aurora through another nail-biting encounter against the Europeans.
The veteran roamer pulled off a brilliant conceal play, targeting Team Spirit’s Anton “Hiko” Pak (Karrie) with a flicker into Shortcut that penetrated the enemy base, resulting in a series-clinching 4-for-0 wipe.
