Mobile Legends: Bang Bang‘s Middle East and North African league (MPL MENA) has been awarded a wildcard slot for the 2023 M5 World Championship.
As a result, a team competing in the MENA region will receive a place in the Wild Card phase of the season-ending tournament.
The MPL MENA Fall Split sees eight of the region’s top Mobile Legends teams compete for a $100,000 (~£80,405) prize pool. The Split is taking place at the VOV Gaming venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was previously announced that the winner of the Split will gain entry into the M5 World Championship, however, now the second-place team will also earn a chance to qualify.
In total, eight Wildcard teams head to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to compete for a chance to qualify for the World Championship group stage which commences in December. Teams participating in the Wildcard event will represent a range of regions including Latin America, Mongolia and South Asia.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang continues to be one of the most popular mobile esports titles in the world, particularly within Southeast Asia. In September 2023, MPL Singapore entered deals with McDonald’s and Head & Shoulders for its sixth season. Moreover, the M4 World Championship garnered a peak viewership of 4.3m, according to Esports Charts.
Elsewhere, esports tournament organiser ONE Esports announced the MPL Invitational (MPLI) will return in November and will be the first MPLI event to take place online after its previous tournaments were held online.
Jamie Cruz, Head of Esports (MENA & South Asia) of MOONTON Games, spoke on the news: “We continue to be impressed by the calibre and growth of the MENA region’s esports athletes. Most recently, Saudi Arabia and Egypt placed third and fourth, respectively, at the IESF World Esports Championship 2023 Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
“The M5 World Championship and Wild Card offer teams a fantastic opportunity to soar beyond their limits and unleash their potential on the international stage – to become #BetterThanGreat.”
