National University avenged last season’s heartbreak by dethroning defending champion De La Salle University, 2-1, to capture the 2026 UAAP Esports Mobile Legends: Bang Bang championship on Wednesday at the MVP Studios in Mandaluyong City.
La Salle appeared to still have NU’s number earlier in the tournament, sweeping the Bulldogs, 2-0, in the group stage. NU, however, turned the tables when it mattered most, beating the Green Archers in the finals to capture its first UAAP ML: BB championship.
NU head coach Ernest Del Rosario described the championship as a sentimental triumph for a team that used the pain of last season’s finals defeat and its group-stage loss to La Salle as motivation to complete its redemption.
“For me, yung championship win is something that is very sentimental for the team,” said Del Rosario. “Kasi ako, as a coach na kakapasok lang sa team, I saw how hard they worked, lalo nung natalo sila last season. Then nung last series before ng semi-finals natalo din kami.
“Now, I think day and night yung naging difference. Naging focused kami. We locked in talaga para makuha yung championship,” he added.
(C) UAAP Media Team
The Bulldogs seized control of Game 1 from the get-go, building a commanding 9-1 kill advantage by the eighth minute behind Johann Estacio’s four kills and five assists.
Not even Joshua Tating’s Lord steal in the ninth minute could halt NU’s charge, as the Bulldogs cruised to a 14-minute victory after Estacio secured a Savage in the final team fight.
La Salle, however, showed its championship poise in Game 2, pulling off a dominant draft and building an advantage of as much as 8,000 gold before forcing a series decider with a 17-minute victory.
Estacio suffered an early setback in Game 3, dying in the opening minute as Tating secured a double kill during a top-lane ambush.
The NU star quickly bounced back, though, going on a rampage and finishing with eight kills, three assists, and just one death as the Bulldogs overcame their previous struggles against La Salle to clinch the title in 13 minutes.
Estacio was named grand finals MVP after a near-perfect performance in the championship series.
“Para sa’kin, hindi naman po big deal yung MVP kasi matagal na rin naman po kaming magkakampi, so tingin ko as a team talaga yung pagkapanalo namin,” shared Estacio.
“Pero thank you pa rin po ako para sa award na ito na di rin in-expect ng parents ko.”
(C) UAAP Media Team
Earlier in the day, NU dispatched the University of the Philippines in a dominant 2-0 semifinal sweep, while La Salle rallied from a game down to stun Adamson, 2-1, and set up a rematch of last season’s championship series.
Adamson and UP, both first-time semifinalists, settled for bronze.
Meanwhile, the UAAP Esports VALORANT Tournament resumes on Monday, August 31, at the NAOS Arena in DoubleDragon Plaza, Pasay City.
