JAKARTA, Indonesia — The Golden Road remained unconquered on the M7 World Championship stage after Alter Ego brought Team Liquid’s historic run to an end, denying the world its first true immortal champions.
The Cavalry weathered a brutal lower-bracket gauntlet, highlighted by gritty, high-pressure victories over ONIC Esports and Aurora Gaming Turkey that kept their title hopes alive.
But Indonesia’s Alter Ego proved to be insurmountable, outmaneuvering Team Liquid both in draft and execution to halt a remarkable campaign and leave the Filipino powerhouse reflecting on how close it came to history, only to fall short in the end.
READ: Team Liquid bows out from M7 after falling to gritty Alter Ego
For head coach Rodel “Arsy” Cruz, the aftermath was a mix of pride in the team’s journey and frustration over a Golden Road that slipped away.
Team Liquid’s path grew significantly steeper after dropping to the lower bracket following a loss to Aurora Gaming PH in the M7 upper-bracket quarterfinals—a setback the team recognized early would leave little margin for error.
“We knew from the get-go that it would be difficult in the lower bracket because every team had improved so much, and the META was unforgiving. Although we were able to adjust, I felt like our practice was cut short,” Arsy explained in an exclusive interview with SPIN.ph.
Team Liquid competed in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games prior to M7 as part of SIBOL’s MLBB Men’s team in December, resulting in a taxing tournament stretch that allowed little time for rest or recovery.
Arsy—whose tactical brilliance has been widely credited with reinvigorating Team Liquid’s competitive identity—took the loss heavily.
“It hurts for me because I feel like I should have exerted more effort. I feel like I underperformed, and I feel guilty that we lost,” coach Arsy opened up.
Despite the heartbreaking end for a squad dubbed “The Final Boss,” Arsy expressed pride in his players, emphasizing how close they came to completing the Golden Road after securing back-to-back MPL Philippines titles and the MSC 2025 championship.
“I’m very proud of my team. We won MSC and back-to-back MPL titles. The Golden Road achievement is just a bonus for us. If you look at it, we won three major tournaments and just lost one,” he added.
Sanji can't wait to start again
Meanwhile, Team Liquid captain Alston “Sanji” Pabico shared the same sentiments, pointing to the relentless tournament calendar as a major hurdle that left the team little time to fully prepare.
“We weren’t really in favor of the schedule because it was recently the holiday season in the Philippines, and we really needed rest. Still, we continued practicing because we wanted to achieve the Golden Road,” Sanji shared.
Looking ahead, Sanji remains determined. He said Team Liquid is focused on bouncing back in the next MPL Philippines season—with the same ambition, the same hunger, and unfinished business in mind.
“We are very determined to bounce back. We will attempt to reach the Golden Road again if given the chance,” Sanji said.
For now, the Golden Road remains unconquered—but Team Liquid’s near-immortal run stands as one of the most compelling title pursuits in MLBB history, a reminder of how unforgiving it is at the very top.
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