ONIC Coaches Showed How They Turned The Table Against Aurora At MSC 2026 Knockout Stage

In what the Esports World Cup organizer described as the greatest match of all time, ONIC stood tall against Aurora Türkiye after a grueling 5-game match at the MSC 2026 knockout stage.

Aurora played the match strong during the early phase, where ONIC kept up with the pressure. Losing against the Turkish outfit on the group stage, Kairi and his team are determined to even the score.

Playing a head-to-head game until both teams stood at 2-2, ONIC controlled the rhythm of the last game to their favor. It resulted in ONIC’s deserving victory.

The defeat definitely impacted Aurora Türkiye, as they have been performing exceptionally well. Unbeaten against SEA giants Team Liquid PH and ONIC during the group stage, it seems that Aurora might just be a new powerhouse in the MLBB esports scene.

“We expected that this would be a tough series. We knew that we could win, but I guess we just lost. There were a couple of mistakes from our side,” said Midnight, Aurora Türkiye’s coach, during the post-match interview.

“Even on our drafts we tried to be creative, and we pushed the boundaries of the meta. But ONIC’s synergy was very hard to break considering they’ve been playing together for a long time,” he added.

Speaking exclusively to DoubleXP, CW and Yeb, ONIC’s coaching staff for this tournament, said that their team played to their advantage to counter Aurora’s strength.

“For me, I think Aurora is extremely skilled in this current meta, for example, the double-fighter composition. It might take us a few games to realize this, but after that we’re able to counter their double-fighter composition,” said head coach CW.

The two coaches debated on how to direct ONIC against Aurora, but it led to a common conclusion for the final game plan. CW added that he just let the team focus on their own gameplay rather than worrying about anything else beyond the team’s control.

“If, for example, we’re trailing, overthinking and pressure are bound to set in. So we make sure the kids feel comfortable so they can just play their game with that lineup,” CW continued.

Yeb, filling in the role of the team’s analyst, iterated that coaches have an important role to steer players into the right path.

“It reminds me that, as coaches, we really do have to help the kids make their dreams come true. Help pave the way to their dreams,” said Yeb, who is also ONIC’s VP of esports franchise.

Tonight, ONIC will face Team Spirit, another close rival and Europe’s top contender in the semifinal of MSC 2026.