Twisted Minds PH: ‘Been Thinking’ About Redemption
Photo from MPL Philippines / Richard Esguerra
Twisted Minds PH: ‘Been Thinking’ ‘About Redemption
Twisted Minds had a modest debut season in early 2025, making it to the playoffs by the skin of their teeth, giving fans reason to believe they could hold on for seasons to come.
But as Season 16 came around, they revealed a fresh lineup and a more refined twisted mindset that took the league by storm. The playoffs will be their ultimate test of character, and The Minds will hold on to that belief again — that they can beat anyone on any given day.
“Truth or Dare”
The plot twist started on August 8 as James “Jeymz” Gloria and Salic “Hadji” Imam left to sign with Smart Omega. Jamaloding “Lamaj” Dimati also departed, later signing with Laotian club Leon Esports. Jhonville “Outplayed” Villar ended with Ying Jian Nan in China, while Jomearie “Escalera” delos Santos went to Twisted Minds’ other team in MENA.
Then came the new boys on the block, signing four of the main five from MDL Philippines Season 5 champions ONIC Nine Lives. Lance Aaron “Lansu” Misa returned to the top league after three seasons in the MDL, while Miguel “Sionnn” Alcantara, Mico “Nosia” Guevarra, and John Carlo “Caloy” Roma made their MPL debuts.
They ruled the early weeks with a 3–0 start, quickly earning the label of tournament dark horses. But as the season went on, reality hit — losing eight of their next 11 matches, including a four-game skid in the second half.
They had their highs — a 2–0 win over Team Falcons and a 2–1 upset of ONIC PH — and their lows — a tough 0–2 defeat to Omega and a swift sweep loss against Aurora in Week 7.
Lady luck smiled on them once more after a 2–1 victory over TNC Pro Team, enough to settle them at fourth place amid a tight race from seeds four to eight.
“To Last”
If the stats told the story alone, then Twisted Minds would need to twist their mindset once more.
Before Project NEXT 2025 kicked in, they had a respectable 52.63% game win rate after 19 games. But with the new patch, that number dropped to just 35.29%, tying with AP.Bren for the lowest. For context, AP.Bren’s pre-patch win rate was only 29.41%.
Still, that doesn’t mean Twisted Minds are underperforming. The same stretch saw Sionnn’s iconic Kimmy performance with an 18/0/3 KDA and Caloy’s late-season heroics that salvaged their playoff hopes.
Their next challenge lies in expanding their hero pool — currently the second thinnest at 44. But knowing Coach Kristoffer “Bon Chan” Ricaplaza’s reputation for innovation, fans can expect a surprise or two in the playoffs.
Sionnn = “Water”
Michael “MP the King” Endino found redemption this season, and Lansu’s return to the MPL made waves, but the rookies — Caloy, Nosia, and especially Sionnn — stole the spotlight.
Fans and analysts agree: Sionnn was the team’s heart. He posted 131 kills, 51 deaths, and 184 assists — third in kills league-wide and fourth in kills per game (3.75). He also cracked the top 10 in both KDA ratio (6.18) and damage per gold (4.77).
Sionnn’s aggressive MDL playstyle translated well to the MPL — he’ll make fans sweat and make the game hotter. What was once youthful energy has now flowed like water to disciplined confidence — a testament to his growth and maturity under pressure.
“Jump”
Twisted Minds PH now prepare for their first-ever postseason appearance — a do-or-die clash with TNC Pro Team. Both sides have two head-to-head wins each, setting up the perfect tiebreaker under the brightest lights.
Twisted Minds must find the rhythm they had from the start — when they shocked the league and embodied their mantra of bowing to no one. This time now, they are ready to “Jump” and “Push 2 Start.”
After all, most of them came from ONIC Nine Lives. They may have lost eight lives this season, but the ninth one is now more worth fighting for.
(Stats courtesy of MPL Philippines, Drew Malihan, and Jesus Evan Bonjibod)
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