After missing out on MSC 2025 with Aurora PH, Dex Star and MTB get another chance to compete in the second-biggest event of the year with Aurora Türkiye.
Aurora Gaming's Filipino Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) team will be reinforcing their peers in 
Aurora Türkiye for the upcoming MLBB Mid Season Cup (MSC) 2025 through their vaunted coach duo of Aniel “Master the Basics (MTB)” Jiandani and Dexter “Dex Star” Alaba. Head coach MTB and assistant coach Dex Star will lead Aurora Türkiye's MSC 2025 bootcamp and serve as the team's coaches for the duration of the tournament.
In an exclusive interview with GosuGamers ahead of their departure for Türkiye, MTB and Dex Star expressed their excitement for this unique opportunity, which they expect to be a valuable “two-way learning experience."
"I think it's a two-way experience. Number one, we want to know the culture of MLBB in their region. Then, we'll share what we're doing here in the Philippines, like how our practices here go. We'll share that with them so they can adapt. Then, we'll find out if other regions in the Philippines can really keep up," said MTB.
“We'll also get to see what their culture is and we can adopt it if it's effective. Hopefully, our practices here in the Philippines will also be a good fit for their playstyle,” added Dex Star.
An unexpected trip to MSC 2025
While Aurora Türkiye qualified for MSC 2025 after claiming the championship of the MTC Türkiye Championship Season 5 in dominant fashion, the organisation's flagship MLBB squad in the Philippines were unfortunately unable to join them in Riyadh. Despite finishing the Regular Season of the MLBB Professional League (MPL) Philippines Season 15 as the second seed, Aurora PH only finished fourth in the Playoffs–missing out on the country's two spots in this year's MSC that were reserved for the grand finalists.
While Aurora PH's coaches would've much rather preferred competing in MSC 2025 as full representatives, their coaches said they were still thankful for the chance to attend the tournament to coach their organisation's secondary squad.
There had been mutual interest between Aurora PH's coaches and the Aurora Türkiye. While Aurora Türkiye already have a coach in Sacit “Bagdalseph” Arslan, the team still valued the insights that MTB and Dex Star–two of the most decorated and experienced coaches in the global MLBB scene–could bring to the still relatively unproven squad. For their part, the two Filipino coaches were more than happy to get back to competing early and still attend the second-biggest MLBB tournament of the year.
“We really wanted to go to MSC,” said MTB. “Even though our PH squad didn't make it, [Dex Star and I] are still be able to participate there. So we still have the knowledge that we'll gain.”
That potential knowledge and experience MTB and Dex Star could gain with Aurora Türkiye in MSC 2025 may prove invaluable for Aurora PH in the next season of MPL PH, but there's still a lot of work that needs to be done first.
Not only will the two Filipino coaches have to deal with a potential language and culture barrier in coaching a squad from an entirely different part of the world, they also need to get their new charges ready with just over three weeks of prep time before MSC 2025's Group Stage kicks off on 23 July.
Flashes of potential
With that said, both MTB and Dex Star think that Aurora Türkiye already have a lot of potential. Perhaps their coaching will be what the squad needs to reach the next level, and what better place to do that than in MSC?
“Based on what I've seen from the Türkiye scene and other regions, most of the teams here are strong when it comes to micro. They can keep up with their opponents when it comes pushing the right buttons quickly. But when it comes to macro, as a team, how they move around the map, that's where they are lacking," said MTB.
"The Philippines is, I think, the strongest region when it comes to macro. With how they move around as a team, the Philippines is the strongest. I think that's what [Aurora Türkiye] need to improve as a team. But if you look at it, I think they have potential, they really have potential. Maybe it's just that they lack experience.”
Dex Star added that other regions lag behind the likes of the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia because they don't have as many established coaches to hone the talents of their players.
“Their knowledge is more on individual knowledge. So all the input the players have is just what they get from themselves. So that's what MTB and I will be working on. How we can implement what we're doing in the Philippines in [Aurora Türkiye]? And from there, we'll see how they can improve their macro,” said Dex Star.
A mutual learning experience
But while MTB and Dex Star will be sharing as much of their knowledge and experience with Aurora Türkiye to help them prepare for MSC, it's not like they won't get anything out of it. Instead of sitting in the sidelines and simply watching the tournament play out, the two coaches will be right in the thick of the action. This opportunity will help their minds stay sharp; all the better for when they get back home.
“It's a different experience if you're the one participating in the tournament. Unlike if you're just watching. If you're the one participating in the tournament, in drafting, figuring out rotations and the meta, you'll be updated. You won't be left behind. And by the time the next season comes, MTB and I will have something to bring back [to Aurora PH]. We won't be outdated because we were there in the tournament itself; a major tournament, no less,” said Dex Star.
While these mutual exchanges are all well and good, MTB knows Aurora Türkiye have their work cut out for them. They will need to go up against the best teams the world has to offer in the MSC. He knows his countrymen in 
Team Liquid PH and 
ONIC Philippines will be the hardest opponents of them all.
“I've been coaching Filipinos since I was an amateur, it's a good challenge and experience for me. I think, it's positive in the sense that the Philippines or Filipinos can share what we're good at with others. Maybe the negative part is we're the ones fighting against the Filipinos. In our experience, it's really hard to fight against Filipinos. Filipinos players, Filipinos coaches, it's really hard to fight against them internationally. I can't say it's an advantage, maybe it's a positive from the perspective of our teammates. But as an opponent, it's not totally positive,” said MTB.
While the expectations for Aurora Türkiye certainly aren't the highest, the two Filipino coaches hope they can still exceed them. If they pull off an upset or two, even better. The Turkish players can be proud of their skill while the Filipino coaches can prove their coaching can elevate anyone. Perhaps that will drive other regions to start thinking of also importing Filipino coaches, further elevating the prestige of the Philippines in MLBB.
Of course, there's also the risk of falling flat and having people think that Filipino coaches perhaps aren't all that they're made out to be. MTB and Dex Star welcome the challenge, and they know Aurora Türkiye have what it takes to shine.
And if, somehow, Aurora Türkiye wins the MSC? Then it's a massive victory for both Türkiye and the Philippines.
"If that happens, then it's a win not just the Philippines. Of course, credits to Aurora Türkiye, because they are the ones who played. If we reached the top, they were the ones who struggled. They were the ones who found their way to MSC. We just gave them what we were doing here in the Philippines, we just taught them. Then, whatever happens in MSC, if we reach the finals or win the trophy, it's still credits to them," said Dex Star.
“Of course, it's just an advantage that we were able to import. It'll be the same as in other regions when Filipino coaches are able to make their teams champions. We're proud as Filipinos that we have a coach there, but it's still gonna be credits to Türkiye.”
