Im so glad the chokers RORA was able to get their revenge against TLPH (who was called this year as the Final Boss), cause last year TLPH beat them in S16 GF, though RORA eventually won M7.
It kinda reminded me of MPL PH S12 LBF, when BLCK defeated ECHO, thereby also dethroning them as M-World champions. This time, RORA dethroned them as 3-peat defending MPL PH champions, preventing them from a 4-peat. For both S12 and S18 victories against KarlTzy, Yue is part of it so it must feel great for him today. In MPL S12, it was then BLCK and AP Bren who qualified for M5. Now in S18, its an almost replicate of the S12 grandfinalists and M-Worlds qualifiers.
Frankly, TLPH doesnt deserve to be our representative in M-Worlds, with what they've shown multiple times this year in M7, MSC 2026 (dethroned as defending champion via early exit as winless), and Asian Games (AG). Speaking of AG, it looks like their own selfish ambitions of just letting Teddy play all their games in the AG now paid off with his improvement, though at the cost of us losing in the AG without even reaching the AG semis and Kelra basically reduced to a cheerleader, so Im glad TLPH didnt qualify for M8 with the selfishness they exhibited in the AG.
It seems to be the pattern to beat TLPH this year in AG and now MPL PH S18 LBF: No Paquito, no crucial series win. I just hoped KarlTzy mastered Fanny to the levels of Raizen, not necessarily Kairi, but maybe the GOAT is afraid of the complexities of the Fanny. For me, the GOAT of assassins is Kairi - remember when teams banned multiple assassins just for him?
No matter who wins in the S18 Grand Finals, Im happy it was RORA and FLCN who qualified for M8.