Twisted Minds PH began as MPL PH underdogs, but their mix of fresh faces, fearless plays, and unshaken belief has turned them into this season’s dark horse.
Truth or Dare, A New Beginning
Twisted Minds PH’s story this season reads like a daring comeback. After a modest debut in early 2025, the team entered MPL Philippines Season 16 with renewed purpose and a completely different identity.
Their roster shuffle on August 8 sent shockwaves through the scene. Veterans Jeymz and Hadji transferred to Smart Omega, Lamaj joined Leon Esports in Laos, while Outplayed and Escalera took international paths.
In their place came the next generation, four of the main five from MDL Philippines Season 5 champions ONIC Nine Lives: Lansu, Sionnn, Nosia, and Caloy. It was a daring gamble that immediately paid off.
Twisted Minds started the season red-hot with a 3–0 record, earning early recognition as dark horses of the league. But momentum is fickle, they soon hit turbulence, losing eight of their next 11 series, including a brutal four-game skid. Still, key wins against Team Falcons (2–0) and ONIC PH (2–1) proved their ceiling remains high.
When the playoff race tightened, they delivered when it mattered most, a 2–1 win over TNC Pro Team sealed their ticket to the postseason, finishing fourth amid one of the tightest mid-table battles in MPL history.
To Last Bending, Not Breaking
Before Project NEXT 2025 reshaped the meta, Twisted Minds had a promising 52.63% game win rate. But once the patch dropped, they hit turbulence, their win rate plunged to 35.29%, tying with AP.Bren for the lowest in that stretch.
Yet even in the slump, there were flashes of brilliance. Sionnn’s legendary Kimmy performance, an 18/0/3 KDA, became an instant highlight, while Caloy’s late-season poise anchored their final playoff push.
Their current challenge lies in depth, a 44-hero pool, the second smallest in the league. But with Coach Kristoffer “Bon Chan” Ricaplaza at the helm, fans expect innovation and creative drafts come playoff time.
Sionnn = Water, The Rookie Wave
Among all the breakout stars, none shone brighter than Miguel “Sionnn” Alcantara. His stats tell the story: 131 kills, 51 deaths, 184 assists, ranking third league-wide in total kills and fourth in kills per game (3.75). He also cracked the top 10 in KDA (6.18) and damage per gold (4.77).
His playstyle, once wild and unpredictable in MDL, now flows with precision and composure, earning him the moniker “Water.” He adapts, molds, and overwhelms, proving that youth, when disciplined, can become a force of nature.
Meanwhile, MP the King rediscovered his rhythm, and Lansu’s return to MPL reestablished his presence as a stabilizer, a veteran who’s been through the grind and knows how to guide the young blood.
Jump, The Final Test
Now, Twisted Minds prepare for their biggest test yet, a do-or-die playoff showdown with TNC Pro Team. Their regular-season head-to-head sits even, each team claiming two series wins.
It’s poetic symmetry, two rising teams, both chasing redemption, facing off under the brightest stage lights. For Twisted Minds, the goal is clear: rediscover the spark that fueled their 3-0 start, and embrace their mantra, “Bow to no one.”
After all, many of them came from ONIC Nine Lives. They may have lost eight lives this season, but the ninth one, the one they’re fighting for now, just might be their most important yet
