Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno will make his return to the SIBOL MLBB National Team after Team Liquid PH defeated reigning MDL Philippines champions ONIC x Nine Lives, 3–1, in the finals of the SIBOL National Team Selection for the 2025 Southeast Asian Games on Friday.
Widely regarded as the G.O.A.T. of Filipino Mobile Legends, KarlTzy was a key member of the historic 2019 SIBOL squad that captured the gold medal in the inaugural SEA Games MLBB event — marking the beginning of the Philippines’ dominance in the esport.
Joining him in the national team pool are Sanford “Sanford” Vinuya, Alston “Sanji” Pabico, Kiel “Oheb” Soriano, and Jaypee “Jaypee” Dela Cruz. The team will be led by coach Rodel “Ar Sy” Cruz.
Team Liquid PH earned their ticket to the finals by topping the group stage, punctuated by a 2–1 reverse sweep over Aurora Gaming. They then secured another comeback win, rallying from behind to beat Team Falcons PH 2–1 in the semifinals.
ONIC x Nine Lives, meanwhile, turned heads with a stellar run of their own. Backed by Ateneo de Manila University alumnus and lawyer Atty. C.P. Garcia, the MDL champions dominated Group B with a clean 2–0 sweep over Team Falcons PH.
They continued their Cinderella run with a 2–0 upset over Aurora Gaming in the semis.
The top four teams from the selection tournament will now form the national training pool heading into the SIBOL Combine, where coach Ar Sy will determine the final lineup for the 2025 SEA Games.
In past editions, the winning team usually secured the core five spots, with one or two additional players selected from the remaining pool members.
