By: Jan Marcus Montevirgen
Aurora’s M6 World Championship campaign ended in disappointment after a 0-2 loss to Team Liquid Indonesia (TLID) on Wednesday, marking the first time Edward “Edward” Dapadap will not step into the playoffs of the prestigious tournament.
In an exclusive interview with Tiebreaker Times, Edward shared the team’s intense preparation leading up to their do-or-die match against the reigning MPL Indonesia champions. Despite the heartbreaking result, the 20-year-old EXP-laner expressed pride in his team’s effort and dedication.
“Ganito pala yung feeling. Siguro hindi pa nagsi-sink in yung pagkatalo kasi, to be honest, mula kahapon, 6 p.m. to 3 or 4 a.m., kami nag-prepare against Team Liquid ID. Ang dami naming naiisip kung paano yung execution, draft ganon,” Edward said.
“Happy pa din ako kasi sobra yung effort ng team. Nag-gugol kami ng 10 hours sa preparation and brainstorming doon sa TLID,” he added.
Edward’s World Championship journey began on a high note when he and his former team, Blacklist International, swept ONIC PH (now Fnatic ONIC Philippines) 4-0 in the M3 grand finals. Since then, the Tier One-backed squad made two more consecutive appearances in M4 and M5, finishing second and third, respectively.
For Edward, this year’s Swiss Stage format presented a new and challenging dynamic, contributing to Aurora’s early exit.
“Let’s say sa Swiss Format din kasi noong na 0-2 na kami, doon parang may kulang, may mali sa ginagawa namin. Siguro challenge din ‘yon sa amin kasi hindi kami sanay sa best-of-one. Sinanay namin sa scrim na tuwing Game 1 sa scrim, dapat God-mode or MPL-mode kami,” he explained.
Despite the setback, Edward maintained an optimistic outlook, believing the M6 experience would ultimately benefit Aurora as they prepare for future tournaments, particularly MPL Philippines Season 15.
“Pero ewan ko, parang ganon talaga tinadhana sa amin para may ma-realize pa kami sa mga susunod na tournaments, sa Season 15. Tumitingin na lang ako sa brighter side ngayon. Ayokong sobrang i-down yung sarili ko kasi hindi pa naman guguho yung mundo bukas eh,” he said.
As Aurora bowed out of the M6 World Championship, Edward expressed confidence that Fnatic ONIC Philippines, the remaining Filipino team in the tournament, has what it takes to uphold the country’s dominance on the global stage.
“Good luck na lang sa Fnatic ONIC Philippines, alam kong kayang kaya nila ‘yan,” he concluded.
