Aurora drops SRG in five-game semis to secure M7 World Championship Grand Finals slot

The giants of Malaysian MLBB esports, Selangor Red Giants (SRG), are up against the team with a lot to prove, Aurora Gaming PH (RORA), in the M7 World Championship Upper Bracket Semifinal. The stakes are high in this match as whoever wins secures a Grand Finals appearance. Meanwhile, the loser will have to fight their way in the Lower Bracket. 

That said, here is a recap of the match between SRG and Aurora Gaming PH in the M7 World Championship Knockout Stage Day 3. 

Game 1 opened with both teams on equal footing, trading blows in a prolonged tug-of-war through the 8-minute mark. Aurora Gaming PH eventually gained the upper hand when Jan “Domengkite” Delmundo hit his power spike around the 11-minute mark.

SRG attempted to swing the momentum by forcing teamfights, but repeated misplays led to heavy casualties, allowing Aurora to build a massive 5k gold lead by the 13-minute mark. A brief silver lining appeared during the 14-minute Lord fight, where Aurora misplayed and lost three members despite securing the objective. This gave SRG room to breathe and regroup.

However, the window was short-lived, as Aurora quickly stabilized, regrouped, and pressed forward to secure the first win of the series.

SRG fired back in Game 2, racking up four kills by the 4-minute mark and building an early 3k gold lead against Aurora Gaming PH. Jonard “Demonkite” Caranto struggled to find space with his Fanny pick as SRG aggressively invaded jungle camps and seized control of map resources.

Aurora was forced to concede major objectives, causing them to fall behind in both damage output and teamfight presence. The pressure continued throughout the mid-game, pushing Demonkite into a slow split-push approach as SRG methodically dismantled Aurora’s outer turrets.

Eventually, Aurora folded under the pressure, allowing SRG to close out the game and equalize the series.

In Game 3, SRG immediately targeted Domengkite’s Granger, applying constant pressure across the map. With Hazziq “Stormie” Rizwan controlling teamfights on Zetian, Aurora struggled to contest objectives. At the 7-minute mark, SRG secured a clean Turtle take and established firm map control.

The momentum snowballed from there, with SRG holding a commanding 6,000 gold lead by the 13-minute mark while Aurora continued to scramble for answers. Despite their efforts, Aurora Gaming PH eventually collapsed at the 17-minute mark, as SRG marched down the lanes for a decisive game-winning push.

SRG opened Game 4 with an aggressive early-game plan, stealing Demonkite’s orange buff and immediately suppressing Aurora’s jungle. This pressure resulted in the PH squad falling behind early, trailing 0–3 in kills by the 3-minute mark. Slowly but surely, Aurora clawed their way back through small pickoffs, primarily from Domengkite’s Granger.

The script flipped at the 12-minute mark when Demonkite began stealing jungle camps from Muhammad Haqqullah “Sekys” Ahmad Shahrul Zaman’s Yi Sun-Shin. Aurora capitalized on the momentum with a Lord take and a mid-lane push that exposed SRG’s base. A second Lord at 17 minutes set up a potential game-ending push, but SRG briefly fought back with Muhammad “Yums” Suhairi’s Chou acting as a sacrificial initiator to relieve pressure.

The comeback attempt was short-lived, however, as Aurora Gaming PH dominated the next Lord pit fight, taking down four SRG members before pushing straight through to close Game 4.

In the deciding Game 5, Aurora drafted Akai for Demonkite alongside Edward “Edward” Dapadap’s Lapu-Lapu, forming an oppressive frontline that SRG struggled to break. The match developed slowly, with SRG playing cautiously to avoid giving up unnecessary kills.

Despite the slower pace, Aurora steadily scaled into a ticking time bomb, amassing nearly a 10k gold lead by the 14-minute mark. Even with the resource deficit, SRG showcased resilient base defense and held their ground in multiple teamfights, extending the match past 20 minutes.

Aurora secured an Evolved Lord, but failed to find a decisive opening or even secure a pickoff. Unfortunately for SRG, a costly misplay in the 23-minute Lord fight finally broke their defense, giving Aurora Gaming PH the perfect opening to push and close out the series and secure a Grand Finals slot in the M7 World Championship Knockout Stage.

That's it for our M7 World Championship Knockout Stage Day 3 recap for the SRG vs Aurora Gaming PH match. For more information, like match schedules and real-time scores, check out our M7 World Championship tournament hub.