Echo successfully held off Onic Philippines’ rally to secure their second win with a 2-1 victory during Week 1 of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) Philippines Season 12, which took place at the Shooting Gallery Studios in Makati City.
The reigning M4 World Champions now lead the standings with five points, boasting a 2-0 record.
“Sa first game, di namin sila mabasa kung san sila maghohold. Parang ginawa nila samin atras abante lang yung laban kaya napapareact kami,” said Echo coach Robert “Trebor” Sanchez on how they adjusted after losing Game 1 to Onic’s macroplays.
“Nung second game, sabi ko sa mga player wag sila magreact. Dapat dalawa lang dumepensa at pumush sila ng isang lane kaya nakabawi kami ng second game,” he added.
In Game 2, Dean “Raizen” Sumagui (Lancelot) executed a critical double kill that propelled Onic to a 4-1 exchange during the 14th-minute lord dance.
Onic then employed a clever macro play, preventing Sanford “Sanford” Vinuya (Terizla) from recalling, which allowed Raizen to successfully siege the top lane’s base turret, resulting in a score of 1-0.
Echo displayed championship composure as Benedict “Bennyqt” Gonzales (Bruno) overcame a challenging 0-3-1 KDA start and delivered substantial late-game damage, helping the Orcas equalize the match after 16 minutes of play in Game 2. He finished with a 5-4-7 KDA, forcing a tiebreaker.
In the decisive match, the defending champions effectively countered Raizen’s Fanny, securing a lord take in the 12th minute and launching a game-winning base turret siege just a minute later, ultimately clinching the series.
This marked the second 2-1 loss for Onic, but they managed to secure the sixth spot with two points.
