By: Arjohn Roxas
TNC Pro Team secured a Top 4 finish for the first time in seven seasons after edging out Twisted Minds, 3–2, in the MPL Philippines Season 16 playoffs on Wednesday at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.
Justine “Zaida” Palma emerged as the hero in the decisive Game 5, unleashing his signature Fanny to lead TNC in finally overcoming years of league frustration.
Head coach Patrick “E2max” Caidic revealed that their Game 5 draft was a collective gamble, born out of intense team discussion, with every player having a say in selecting the heroes they wanted.
“Sobrang tagal din namin brinainstorm yung Game 5 na draft, halos lahat kami, inisa-isa namin yung magaganda, tapos sinugal nalang din namin kung ano yung mga gusto naming gamitin. Yun, sugal-sugal nalang din,” E2max said.
The series started with both teams trading blows, splitting the first two games. TNC drew first blood with a commanding Game 1 win, only for Twisted Minds to strike back with a decisive Game 2 victory.
Game 3 began as a tightly contested battle, with both sides exchanging objectives and kills. However, TNC’s relentless aggression allowed them to take control, establishing a 3K gold lead by the eight-minute mark.
Even after Michael “MPtheKing” Endino pulled off a crucial Lord steal at 16 minutes, TNC regrouped and executed a decisive base siege, scoring a 4-for-0 team wipe to move within match point, 2–1.
In Game 4, the teams’ roamers exchanged initiation after initiation, but MPtheKing rose to the occasion for Twisted Minds. He delivered 14 kills to earn MVP honors and extend the series to a decider.
Zaida then dominated the rubber match, tallying six kills within the first seven minutes with his Fanny and steering TNC to a commanding 5.5K gold lead after securing the third turtle.
A second Lord take at 14 minutes paved the way for TNC to close out the match, conceding only three deaths on their way to the series-clinching win.
The victory marked TNC’s first Top 4 appearance since finishing third in Season 9 — a testament to the team’s resurgence after several seasons of bottom-table finishes.
With renewed confidence, TNC Pro Team will face top-seeded Aurora Gaming in the upper bracket on Thursday, October 23, at the Cuneta Astrodome.
