27-7-2023 (KUALA LUMPUR) Moonton Games has announced that the M5 Wild Card, a first for Mobile Legends Bang Bang’s world series, will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in November. The M5 Wild Card will allow eight teams to compete for a spot in the M5 world championship, taking place in the Philippines a month later.
Malaysia is no stranger to hosting international Mobile Legends: Bang Bang esports tournaments, having previously hosted MSC 2022 and M1. Fikri Rizal Mahruddin, Marketing and Business Development Lead of MPL Malaysia, expressed confidence in Malaysia’s ability to provide a world-class championship experience.
Participation in the M5 world championship is currently limited to teams that have won the Mobile Legends Professional Leagues and other regional qualifiers or championships. The M5 Wild Card provides other regions a chance to make it to the world stage. The eight teams will consist of the runner-up from MPL Malaysia, the champion of the Mekong Qualifier, the third place finisher of the Latin America’s Liga Latam, the winner of South Asia’s Champions Battle, the runner-up of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia’s (EECA) MLBB Continental Championships, the champion of Mongolia’s National Wild Card Qualifier, and two other yet-to-be-announced regions.
The off-season has seen many shake-ups in teams, with a significant number of Filipinos now under Malaysian teams. Dale “Stowm” Vidor from Smart Omega is now under RSG Malaysia, while Dexter “Exort” Martinez from RSG Philippines will suit up for RED Esports MY. Jon “Super Red” Bordeos from Blacklist International and Archie “Pancake” Guevarra from ONIC Philippines joined former ECHO coach Michael “Arcadia” Bocado in Red Giants Esports. The previous season of MPL Malaysia saw two Filipinos, Salman “KingSalman” Macarambon and Santi “Santi” Noble, play for the debut roster of Team Secret, while Mujahid “Malik” Malik was signed by TODAK.
Steven “Dale” Vitug, former SIBOL draft coach, was coach for HomeBois and was named Coach of the Season. Filipino fans will be keeping a close eye on their compatriots’ performances in Malaysia as they compete for a spot in the M5 world championship.
