ATENEO’S LOYOLA Gaming (LG) Esports stood triumphant in the League of Legends (LoL) and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) categories of the Metro East – Alliance Games Tournament after trouncing Oblation Esports (OBE) in their respective finals. The contest transpired over the weekend at the Techtite E-Sports Lounge and the University of the Philippines Diliman University Computer Center in Quezon City. 

Representing Ateneo for LoL was LG Hydra, consisting of Top Laner Zed “Swapito” Dy, Jungler Gaetano “Galata” Scarlata, Mid Laner Jericho “Nes” Reynes, Attack Damage Carry (ADC) Gabriel “good kid” Cruz, and Support Cheigh “Kieghron” Tan.

On the other hand, Roamer Vincent Mitzi “Antianara” Pajenago, Gold Lane Cyril Damon “BRANDI” Lorenzo, Mid Laner Eugene “Gene” Dela Cruz, Jungler Kyle Christian “Kyle so gwapo” Calub, and EXP Lane Sean Jacob “seannyqt” See were the LG Helios players for MLBB.

Day 1 LoL: Ateneo’s LG Hydra vs. José Rizal University (JRU) REL Fenrir

In the first best-of-five series, JRU’s Rizalian Esports League (REL) Fenrir opened the first game with a gank on the top lane that caught Swapito off guard, bestowing first blood for opponent Solarbacca. Carrying on that same aggression, REL’s immaculate play controlled the pace of the early game to accumulate a serviceable lead in kills.

Unfortunately for REL, LG’s good kid and Keighron racked up a significant Creep Score Differential (CSD) of 30 against the opposition after ten minutes to put the game in their favor. The lead enabled the ADC to zone and poke the entire Mandaluyong-based squad in every fight, nullifying the Fenrir jungler’s efforts. The game eventually snowballed to a swift LG victory, 1-0.

Responding to his counterpart’s previous performance, LG’s Super Rookie Galata demonstrated a blazing performance on Lillia and Udyr to take two convincing wins over REL Fenrir, 3-0. The series victory ushered LG to the grand finals against OBE, who had previously sent them down to the lower bracket during the tournament.

Day 1 LoL: Ateneo’s LG Hydra vs. University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) OBE Bathala

Photo by Bruce Go of LG Esports

Early in the Grand Finals game, LG’s Nes scored two kills from an early skirmish. Carrying the team’s momentum, LG’s Galata accrued four kills and a blazing 30 CSD on the opponent’s Lilia. On the other hand, LG top laner Swapito capitalized on the Darius vs K’Sante matchup to acquire himself an advantageous position in creep score and experience points.  

Meanwhile, OBE Gelo and Paeng attempted to slow down Hydra’s momentum in the game. Nevertheless, Ateneo’s top side was overwhelmingly ahead of the Maroon squad in terms of gold, kills, and levels. As a result, LG used their advantage to ease through a Game 1 victory, 1-0.

For the second game of the crucial series, the Diliman-based squad squeaked out a 1k gold lead during the onset of the match. After a couple of flanks and responses from Galata and Swapito, LG equalized the game to buy more time for their Azir and Senna to scale. Unwilling to let this game get out of hand, OBE surprised LG at the 27th-minute mark with a big Command: Shockwave from Fadz’s Orianna and gelo’s impeccable kill on LG Nes’s Azir. The series of spectacular plays gave OBE a 4k gold lead, spearheading a win for the opposition in Game 2, 1-1.

Game three slowly escalated in tempo when LG Galata snagged four kills, enabling the Ateneans to command a three-dragon objective lead. With the rookie in control, Hydra was able to pick out Bathala one by one to take the series lead in magisterial fashion, 2-1.

In game four, LG leveraged their draft advantage, winning most of the skirmishes to eventually give Cloud Soul and Baron. Despite this lead, 32 minutes in the game, OBE managed to catch LG off-guard with an altercation at the red jungle. The huge throw eventually led to UP acquiring the Elder Dragon buff, which they then used to swiftly end the game at the mid-lane, 2-2.

With pressure mounted on both teams’ backs for the final and deciding game, OBE ran with their momentum, dissecting the Ateneo team by denying them every important objective. In a culmination of their efforts, the Diliman-based squad gathered a 10k gold lead and a Mountain Soul, appearing to have the tournament win totally in their hands.

However, in one final push, LG pounced on OBE’s mistake at the 34th-minute mark of the game and miraculously won the team fight from the back of LG Galata. The play enabled the Ateneo squad to gain momentum with good kid’s Ashe scaling into a late-game threat. The onus was now on OBE to end the game before their advantage completely dissipated.

LG took advantage of the bounty gold and shift of momentum, now completely outperforming their opponents in every skirmish. The series-defining moment came in the Elder Dragon fight, where Galata secured the buff and landed a crucial Blooming Blows on gelo and Jerwyn, leading LG Hydra to a 3-2 victory in the Grand Finals after an impressive run in the lower bracket.

Day 3 MLBB: Ateneo’s LG Helios vs. UPD’s OBE Minokowa 

Photo by Bruce Go of LG Esports

Elsewhere, the MLBB finale was a short but sweet affair. Before this, LG Helios trounced every single one of their opponents in the upper bracket, having not lost a single series. Thanks to their stellar form, LG Helios found themselves as the final favorites against UPD’s OBE Minokawa, whom they had previously beaten in the upper bracket finals.

In game one of the finals, despite OBE’s draft advantage, LG secured an early 1k-gold advantage. Regardless of the slender lead obtained by Helios, the bout went back and forth until LG BRANDI acquired a triple kill nine minutes into the game. This heroic highlight parlayed into an easy win for the Blue and White, 1-0.

Echoing the same brilliance in game one, Helios proceeded to dominate the next game as kyle so gwapo’s Balmond took the charge to usher the team to a win, 2-0.

Meanwhile, LG had also easily dismantled the UPD squad within eight minutes of the third game. Thereon, LG turned the heat up further to finish their bout early, nearly wiping out OBE on the top river. With the lead too large, Ateneo ran to the enemy base, finishing the series in convincing fashion, 3-0.

LoL Lower Bracket Finals (Ateneo-JRU): 3-0

LoL Grand Finals (Ateneo-UPD): 3-2

MLBB Grand Finals (Ateneo-UPD): 3-0