The DLSU Green Aces entered the 2026 UAAP Esports Tournament with a back-to-back title bid, securing a spot in the Final Four after finishing second in Group A with a win and two draws. However, their championship aspirations would come to an end in the Grand Finals as they narrowly succumbed to eventual champions NU Bulldogs, 2-1, finishing as the first runner-up in the tournament at the MVP Studios last August 26.
Offensive standstill
In their first Elimination Round series against the UE Red Warriors, the DLSU Green Aces made their mark early to start off their title defense. Going with a heavy burst lineup and a mid-roam combo, the Green-and-White prioritized taking objectives while taking their time in crushing the Recto-based squad with timely engagements. Ryu Godoy’s Rafaela kept the team alive in response to the Red Warriors’ attacks, keeping the momentum flowing. A clutch revival on Gabriel Sanchez by Godoy and early game control from the team allowed the Green Aces to quell UE’s defensive efforts in the first game of the series, with Godoy claiming match MVP, 1-0.
Despite the strong start, the Taft-based squad was unable to keep up the same momentum during the second game, as UE turned the tables on them by securing the first turtle and a 4,000-gold cushion in the early game. The Green Aces continued playing catch-up, trying to scale in order for them to have a fighting chance against the red shirts. Even as Joshua Tating’s Hirara went all-in on Ryan Federizo’s Belerick, it was all for naught as they gave up the last turtle. Throughout the late game, DLSU struggled to counterattack as the gold lead ballooned to 8,000 for the opposite side, leaving them with no choice but to defend. Despite Tating’s heroics and the team’s valiant defense, DLSU failed to secure their victory as the Red Warriors split the series, 1-all.
Buggy breakthrough
Revisiting last season’s Grand Finals clash, the DLSU Green Aces halted the NU Bulldogs’ dominant run, pulling off a gritty 2-0 sweep in their Group A encounter. Entering the series as the league’s undefeated juggernauts, the Bulldogs immediately applied heavy pressure in Game 1, establishing a steady 3,000-gold cushion behind Harold Blas’ rapidly scaling Yi Sun-shin. Despite NU commanding the map and securing the early major objectives, the defending champions then relied on smart wave manipulation and disciplined high-ground positioning to stay within striking distance. When NU sieged the base behind the second lord, DLSU orchestrated a sensational team fight turnaround anchored by the crowd control of Godoy’s Belerick and the offense of Journey Ong’s Paquito to pave the way for Tating’s Hirara to claim the tournament’s first Savage and complete an improbable comeback for a 1-0 series lead against the leading squad.
Riding high on that opening, the Green Aces locked in, placing Sanchez on Paquito in the gold lane alongside Ong’s Alice and Godoy’s Gatotkaca. While DLSU dictated the initial tempo by securing first blood and early objectives, a fatal mid-lane tower dive gave the momentum back to NU, helping Kirk Herrero’s Brody reach 30 Sky Piercer stacks and exposing Taft’s base inhibitors. Despite losing four Lord objectives across relentless back-and-forths, the Green-and-White mounted a stubborn goal-line defense, continually shutting down NU’s backline threats to keep their core intact and acquiring gold.
The decisive breakthrough came at the 25-minute mark: a contest for the fifth Lord, where DLSU capitalized on depleted enemy resources to shatter the frontline and secure the game-ending objective. Charging straight to the top lane before the Bulldogs could regroup, the Green Aces obliterated the enemy base to seal the 2-0 sweep. The statement victory marked DLSU’s fourth point of the tournament, with veteran Tating earning back-to-back match MVP honors.
Coming into the final elimination round series against the UST Growling Tigers, the Green Aces only needed one more win to secure their ticket to the Final Four. In Game 1, Ong debuted a Phoveus pick to hinder the dashes each UST hero picked up, while Godoy made his debut pick on Akali to stop any mobile heroes from making plays. Supplemented by Tating’s Paquito and Sanchez’s Moskov, they were able to take all objectives and initiate clashes, leading them to victory and earning the ticket to the Final Four. But in Game 2, UST adopted a three-fighter composition, securing the early game for them despite having double marksmen. DLSU was unable to secure the win and the first seed of Group A as they split the series, 1-all.
Slaying the Falcons
Entering the Final Four against the undefeated AdU Soaring Falcons, the defending champions faced one of the tournament’s toughest tests, enduring a 25-minute slugfest in the first game. Implementing a late-game composition, the Green Aces conceded the early game and objectives to give time for Sanchez’s Claude and Aaron Lim’s Novaria to scale up to the late game. However, the plan fell apart in the late game, when DLSU’s lack of battle spells led to Fatal Links from Atlas, ultimately costing them the game and leaving them down 1-0.
With their tournament’s life on the line in Game 2, Lim delivered another iconic play. Facing a 1,600-gold deficit and a looming early game loss, Adamson attempted to burst down the Lord. Out of nowhere, Lim’s Selena threaded an Abyssal Arrow directly into the Lord pit, stealing away the objective and giving the Green-and-White a lifeline. With the steal, they erased the gold deficit and found the proper set-ups to get back into the game. Capitalizing on AdU’s mental mishaps, they found crucial pick-offs and tore down the turret to equalize the series 1-all.
Riding on the momentum of Game 2, the Taft-based squad executed a tactical masterclass in Game 3. DLSU abandoned the slow-burn, catch-up gameplay and launched a 14-minute stampede spearheaded by Tating’s Nolan and Sanchez’ Paquito. Suffocating Adamson across the map, the Green Aces built an insurmountable 11,000-gold lead to complete a reverse sweep and punch their ticket to the tournament’s Grand Finals.
The final stand
The Grand Finals brought a highly anticipated rematch with the NU Bulldogs, where NU drew first blood in Game 1 through Johann Estacio’s snowballing Yi Sun-Shin. Despite the mounting deficit, Godoy still provided some bright spots with the macro objectives, allowing Tating to attain a major objective, but ultimately fell in the first game, trailing 1-0.
DLSU answered back with a macro-centric approach in Game 2, with Tating picking up the Leomord as the answer to the Yi Sun-shin and Lylia picks from the NU side. Lim utilized Valentina to wage and steal golden hours from the enemy Marcel to turn the tide of each clash. Sanchez’s Paquito executed the opposing carries and provided the zoning to secure the major objectives, including uncontested lord takes, which led to the Green Aces getting Game 2 and forcing a decider.
Game 3 saw DLSU dictate the early tempo, with Godoy landing a strong chain of stuns on Estacio’s Paquito. However, with Paquito being in the jungle, Estacio was able to get picks and recover some needed momentum. With the mid game lost, the Green Aces put their fate on Sanchez’s Claude, but with two deaths, the items were not enough. With the NU Bulldogs taking the second Lord without contest, the Taft-based squad could only prepare for what proved to be the last defense of their campaign. Despite the efforts of Godoy and Ong to divert the Lord’s attention from the crystal, NU’s momentum was just too much for the Green Aces to handle as they yielded the series and the championship, 2-1.
Despite the heartbreaking end to their title defense and the departure of the core of the Green Aces, they found solace in the bond they built through the years while they were together. Gold laner Sanchez credited their formidable in-game connection and coordination to off-stage sacrifice during practices held on weekends in Bulacan.
“Since all of us still had [academic work] during the week, weekends were usually the time when everyone would come over to our house, and we could really grind. We would spend hours scrimming, practicing, talking about drafts, and preparing for tournaments,” he recalled, emphasizing that the grinds and sessions nurtured a brotherhood that transcended the game.
While they fell short of back-to-back championships, Sanchez expressed profound gratitude to the Lasallian faithful who fueled their runs and games, especially during the highest-pressure games. “Sometimes when you are playing, especially during close or difficult games, hearing people cheer for La Salle gives you that extra push,” he stated. “We wanted to bring home another championship, especially because this was our last season. It would have been the perfect ending. But even if we ended with a silver, I hope we were still able to make the Lasallian community proud with the way we played and represented La Salle.”
Reaching the Grand Final for two consecutive seasons remains a historic feat, a standard cemented by the departing pioneers of the DLSU Mobile Legends Team. While their final campaign concluded with a silver finish, it was defined by resilience, adaptability, championship composure, and the commitment to keep on fighting even if the odds were stacked against them. Defending their title to the bitter end, the exiting Green Aces held their heads high, leaving behind a legacy of absolute dominance with the grace expected of true champions.
