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| Photo from MPL Philippines |
MANILA—Despite being one of the stalwarts of MPL Philippines, Smart Omega has yet to clinch the elusive MPL trophy, falling short twice as runners-up in Seasons 6 and 9.
Since their stellar performance in Season 9, the Barangay has struggled to break into the top four, even finishing seventh in the eight-team league last season—their worst performance yet.
Things have changed since then. Smart Omega became the heart-shakers of the league as they go hard on every series and even came close to doing a knock-knock on the upper bracket.
Omega's 'Breakthrough'
Smart Omega retained their lineup from Week 6 of Season 13, featuring Nowee "Ryota" Macasa, Andrew "Andoryuuu" Flora, Jayson "UK1R" Alupit, Jomari "Jowm" Pingol, and Joshua "Ch4knu" Mangilog. Carlito "Ribo" Ribo Jr. served as the team’s sixth man, while Ronel "Stronger" Tan, Lemuel "Lembot" Lucban, and Allec Monsseur "SN4P" Alvarado remained in the backroom staff.
This lineup made huge strides in the last two weeks of the previous season, posting a 2-2 series record and avoiding a season-ending disaster. Ch4knu’s call-up from the MDL was particularly impactful.
The only change this season was Ribo's departure, replaced by newcomer Jet "Bornok" Amorsolo, who is relatively new to the competitive MLBB scene.
More & More
Keeping their core intact after a trial-and-error Season 13 proved fruitful for Smart Omega. The team stormed through MPL Philippines, winning their first three matches, including a 2-1 upset against world champs Falcons AP.Bren.
They cooled off in their next four matches, winning only against RSG and dropping a three-game thriller to Aurora. However, the second half of the season was a different story for the Barangay. They racked up five wins, including a 2-1 victory against Aurora Gaming in Week 5, and their most famous win—a 2-1 upset against Fnatic ONIC Philippines.
'I'm Gonna Be a Star' says these Omega sensations
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| Photo from MPL Philippines |
This season marked the breakthrough of two young talents for Smart Omega: 20-year-old UK1R and 19-year-old Andoryuuu.
UK1R, their midlaner, made significant strides in his overall performance. He put up impressive KDA averages of 2.09 kills, 1.19 deaths, and 7.88 assists, doubling his KDA ratio from last season’s 4.03 to 8.39. He also ranked second in total assists and top five in kill participation.
Andoryuuu also made his mark, leading all junglers with 4.97 average kills while lowering his deaths to 1.82 from three last season. Transitioning from a utility jungler with Fredrinn to becoming the top Hayabusa user in the league with a 62.5% win rate, Andoryuuu is a rising star.
Look at Me
Ch4knu, the Omega captain, has had one of his best seasons yet.
Known for being a top player throughout his career, this season he expanded his hero pool to a league-leading 15 picks, including niche choices like Gatotkaca, Belerick, and Khaleed.
Ch4knu also re-established himself as the MPL’s top playmaker with 284 total assists and an average of 8.61 assists per game.
Is Smart Omega's 'Signal' strong enough?
Smart Omega now faces Blacklist International, an unlikely contender that has been on a hot streak for the past two weeks of the regular season. While some may expect an easy victory for Omega, Blacklist has shown they can hold their own, with impressive wins against Aurora and Falcons AP.Bren.
For Smart Omega, this battle will rely on their shared struggles and intimate knowledge of each other's strengths, alongside the solid form of sidelaners Ryota and Jowm.
It’s “Do or Die” for the Barangay as they enter the playoffs.
They’ll need to show their “Fancy” moves and prove that this season won’t be their “Cry for Me” moment, but instead the time when they say “Yes or Yes” to the championship.
Will they rise to the challenge, or will it be a “What is Love?” scenario as they search for their first MPL title?
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