MCT SEA Opens New Pathway For Mal Malaysia Champions To M8
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 (Bernama) -- The champions of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) Academy League (MAL) Malaysia will have a new pathway to the M8 World Championship following the introduction of the MLBB Championship Tour Southeast Asia (MCT SEA) in the fourth quarter of this year.
Under the new format, the MAL Malaysia champions will face the winners of the MLBB Development League (MDL) Indonesia and MDL Philippines in Group D, known as the Open League Qualifier Group, with the three teams battling for just one spot in the MCT SEA Knockout Playoffs.
Featuring 12 teams from 11 Southeast Asian countries, the MCT SEA forms part of MLBB's global esports expansion and provides emerging teams outside the established franchised leagues with a pathway to the world stage.
The introduction of MCT SEA also makes Southeast Asia the third regional chapter under MLBB's five-region global strategy unveiled this year.
The global structure covers Southeast Asia, the Americas (AMER), East Asia (EA), Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA), complementing MLBB Esports' established franchised leagues.
Apart from Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, the inaugural MCT SEA will feature representatives from Myanmar, Cambodia, Singapore, Vietnam, Timor-Leste, Brunei, Laos and Thailand through their respective leagues or local qualifiers.
MOONTON Games Head of Esports Southeast Asia Dylan Chia said the MCT SEA would provide qualifying teams from across the region with a shared championship to prove themselves and earn their place at the M8.
"Southeast Asia has built the foundation of MLBB Esports as we see today. As the M Series continues to bring MLBB Esports to a wider global stage, the MCT SEA builds on that foundation by giving qualifying teams from across the region a shared championship, where performance determines who earns a place at the M8.
"For emerging players and teams, it is an opportunity to prove themselves, build their profiles, reach new audiences, and take the next step towards the world stage," he said in a statement today.
The top two teams in the MCT SEA Knockout Playoffs will qualify directly for the M8 Main Stage in Istanbul, Türkiye, while the third and fourth-placed teams will advance to the M8 Wild Card in Bangkok, Thailand.
Three teams from the Wild Card will subsequently secure their places in the M8 Main Stage.
The inaugural MCT SEA will offer a total prize pool of US$50,000.
-- BERNAMA