The M5 World Championship Wild Card is set to kick off this week, hosted by Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) Esports. This inaugural event will take place at the JioSpace arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 23–26 November.

Eight international teams will compete in the M5 Wild Card for a chance to qualify for the M5 World Championship Group Stage in Manila. Teams from China, East Europe and Central Asia (EECA), Latin America, Malaysia, Mekong, Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and South Asia will participate. Notably, teams from Mongolia, Nepal, and China will make their global MLBB esports debut.

A significant highlight is the return of Sasa, a seasoned MLBB player, who is competing under Team SMG. Sasa, a former winner of MPL Malaysia Season 8 and recent Season 12 runner-up, is eager to make his mark on the grand Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Esports stage.

The M5 World Championship has secured Qiddiya as the Global Presenting Partner, a project in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, developed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 plan. Qiddiya aims to enhance the fan experience with immersive online and offline activations.

Adrian Cher from MOONTON Games expressed delight in partnering with Qiddiya, highlighting the shared commitment to delivering top-notch, family-friendly entertainment experiences. ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) and Grab also return as global partners for the championship, with ASUS ROG providing the official tournament device, the ROG Phone 6.

“We’re delighted to unveil Qiddiya as our Global Presenting Partner for the M5 World Championship. With our shared commitment and expertise in delivering best-in-class, family-friendly entertainment experiences, combined with the immense growth of esports in up-and-coming regions like Saudi Arabia, we’re confident that the M5 World Championship will be an unforgettable experience for our audiences worldwide.”

– Adrian Cher, Head of Regional Esports Sales, at MOONTON Games

The M5 Wild Card in Malaysia will have regional partners including Hotlink, Nescafe, Astro Arena, Esports Integrated, the Malaysian Ministry of Youth and Sports, TikTok, and TNTCO Store. Meanwhile, the M5 World Championship in the Philippines will feature partners such as Smart Communications, Inc., Maya, the Department of Tourism Philippines, the Games and Amusements Board, Love the Philippines, EVM Convention Center, and Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Teams

The M5 Wild Card comprises two stages – the Group Stage and the Crossover Matches. In the Group Stage, eight teams are randomly divided into two groups, competing in a round-robin format with Best-Of-Three (BO3) matches.

Group A

• 4Merical Esports (Nepal)
• Team SMG (Malaysia)
• Team Falcons (Saudi Arabia)
• Niightmare Esports (Laos)

Group B

• Umbrella Squad (EECA)
• Imperio E-sport (Peru)
• Team Lilgun (Mongolia)
• Keep Best Gaming (China)

Schedule

The schedule for Day 1 to Day 3 and the subsequent Crossover Matches on Day 4, where the top two teams from each group face off in Best-of-Five (BO5) matches, are detailed in the provided graphic. The winners of these matches will secure a spot in the M5 World Championship.

The first Crossover Match is scheduled for 26 November, starting at 2:00 PM (MYT). The event will be broadcast live on MLBB channels with commentary in various languages, including Arabic, Bahasa Indonesian, Bahasa Malaysia, Bengali, Chinese, English, Filipino, Lao, Mongolian, Nepali, Spanish, and Vietnamese (refer to Appendix A for the complete list of livestream channels and languages).