In the grand theater of mobile esports, where thumbs move faster than gossip and a 4-1 grand final score can make an entire region scream at its phone, Team Liquid PH did something in 2025 that 2026 still hasn't gotten over. They won the Mid Season Cup at the Esports World Cup 25. Not just won—dominated, history-booked, trophy-cabinet-completed. TLPH defeated defending MSC champions Selangor Red Giants OG Esports 4-1 in front of a full house at the STC Esports Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. And just like that, the MLBB world had a new first: the first team to win every major MLBB title.

The prize? A cool USD 1,000,000 from the USD 3,000,000 MSC at EWC 25 prize pool, joint-highest in MLBB Esports. The trophy cabinet? Full. The group chat? Unreadable.

The Roster That Turned Riyadh Into a Home Game

TLPH's lineup read like a cheat code:

| Role | Player |

| Mid Laner | Alston 'Sanji' Pabico |

| Roamer | Jay Pee 'Jaypee' Gonzales Dela Cruz |

| Substitute | John 'Perkziva' Haven Garcia Sumawan |

| Gold Laner | Kiel 'Oheb' Calvin Que Soriano |

| Jungler | Karl 'KarlTzy' Gabriel Dacer Nepomuceno |

| EXP Laner | Sanford 'Sanford' Marin Vinuya |

This star-studded roster featured icons who had already lifted world titles and dominated MPL Philippines. Their road to MSC began with a 4-3 thriller over reigning world champions ONIC PH in the MPL Philippines Season 15 Grand Finals. Then they arrived at MSC as favorites and kept an unbeaten match record throughout the tournament. Team Liquid's MLBB division also pushed the club to the top of the EWC Club Championship Ranking with 3,200 points as of 2 August. Casual.

KarlTzy Finally Gets the One That Got Away

At the heart of the run was KarlTzy, the face of MLBB Esports. The MSC title had long eluded him—like a stubborn boss level he kept replaying. In 2025, he finally achieved his Career Grand Slam. KarlTzy has now won both of MLBB's international titles: the M Series and the MSC at EWC 25, plus four MPL Philippines titles. The man didn't just complete a checklist; he laminated it.

But the Grand Finals MVP was Sanford, who shone brighter than a phone screen at 3 a.m. He earned MVP honors and an additional USD 10,000. Sanford had recently been featured in Level Up, the Amazon Prime docuseries about esports athletes' adversities and triumphs leading up to EWC 24. His episode explored his struggles as his family's main breadwinner after his father suffered a stroke. Pressure? Yes. Excuses? None. He rose to the challenge and represented the Philippines on the world's biggest esports stage.

SRG.OG, ONIC PH, and the Podium of Almosts

SRG.OG's runner-up finish was no small feat. They became the first team to reach consecutive MSC Grand Finals, a reflection of their #PantangMengalah spirit—'Never Give Up' in Bahasa Malaysia. They took home USD 500,000. Meanwhile, ONIC PH rounded out the podium after a 3-2 victory over ONIC ID in the third-place decider. The day was so packed with storylines that even the scoreboard needed a nap.

MSC at EWC 25 Rewrote the Viewership Record Book

If the gameplay was electric, the numbers were nuclear. According to Esports Charts, MSC at EWC 25 hit 3,067,670 Peak Concurrent Viewers, making it the most-watched tournament in EWC history. It also clocked 50,318,603 Hours Watched and 599,626 Average Concurrent Viewers. This edition surpassed all MSC at EWC viewership benchmarks.

Artyom Odintsov, Co-founder and CEO of Esports Charts, said the tournament set a new benchmark, became the third most popular esports event of the year, and saw TikTok's contribution to MLBB viewership grow by 16%. He called it the #1 event in EWC history and a validation of the MSC–EWC collaboration.

A Bigger, Badder, More Competitive MSC

MLBB set a new benchmark with the most expansive and competitive MSC to date. It featured 16 regions—the most in MSC history—uniting rising challengers and returning legends. ZETA Division led Japan's long-awaited return after a five-year absence. Wild Card champions Virtus.pro impressed by rising through the MLBB Continental Championships Season 5 Qualifiers to secure the final Main Stage spot. Their underdog journey embodied the expanded MSC spirit: emerging regions are worthy contenders.

This edition introduced a Third Place Match, a reworked format, and a steeper path to victory. The overhaul demanded greater strategy and adaptability, affirming MLBB Esports as the gold standard for competitive excellence. Tiger Xu, Global Head of Esports at MOONTON Games, said the edition was the result of years nurturing the ecosystem and that MLBB Esports has become a platform where athletes can change the face of history.

One Game, Two Champions: MWI Also Made Noise

Under the banner 'One Game, Two Champions', MLBB took center stage at EWC 2025 with two international tournaments: MSC and the MLBB Women's Invitational. Alongside MSC's success, MWI continued to trailblaze for women's esports. Team Vitality's Grand Finals victory had 468,976 PCV, making it the most-watched women's tournament of 2025. In 2024, MWI was the sole women's tournament at the inaugural EWC. In 2025, it returned as the event's largest women's competition with a record-breaking 16-team lineup (up from 12) and 57-region qualifiers (up from 46). The MWI also saw the debut of Saudi Arabia's first women's esports athletes at EWC—Lyrx, Lunar, and Livin from Twisted Minds Orchid. Inclusivity, representation, and diversity? Yes, please.

Faisal Bin Homran, Chief Product Officer at the Esports World Cup Foundation, said MLBB continues to be a cornerstone of the global esports ecosystem with one of the largest and most passionate mobile communities. He congratulated TLPH and VIT on their victories and noted these tournaments create life-changing opportunities.

The 2026 Aftertaste

As 2026 rolls on, the MSC at EWC 25 remains a reminder of what happens when preparation meets opportunity and a jungler named KarlTzy finally gets his missing trophy. MLBB was already the most-watched mobile esports title of 2024, and the 2025 EWC chapter only tightened its grip on the global stage. Government leaders from Malaysia and the Philippines even affirmed MLBB and EWC as catalysts for national development during a press conference on the sidelines of EWC 25.

So here's to TLPH: the team that turned Riyadh into a victory lap, completed the MLBB trophy cabinet, and gave 2026 something to live up to. The only thing missing was a confetti cannon that could keep up. 🏆📱🔥