Game developer MOONTON Games has announced details for the upcoming seasons of MPL Malaysia, one of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang‘s major esports leagues.
MPL Malaysia will take place in a new, larger venue with the Malaysian league also supported by telecommunications operator Hotlink as its ‘Presenter’.
MPL Malaysia is a part of the esports circuit for MLBB, fielding a total of 10 teams from Malaysia. Despite being the title’s third-most popular league — behind MPL Indonesia and MPL Singapore — the competition still attracts a large number of viewers. According to esports data company Esports Charts, MPL Malaysia’s last season recorded more than 550,000 peak viewers, which is almost double that of the season before.
The 2024 season will continue to feature two competitive splits, however, teams will now compete in the Stadium MBSJ Serdang Jaya, a venue that can accommodate an audience of up to 1,000. According to a release, this is more than twice that of MPL Malaysia’s previous season.
Alongside the league, Telecommunications company Hotlink also supports the country’s newly-created academy competition.
MOONTON partnered with IO Esports to launch an official MLBB academy league in the country. The company shared that there will be two separate conferences in the academy league: Challengers and Affiliated conferences. The best Challengers team will earn promotion to MPL Malaysia, and the second-placed team will play against the ninth MPL Malaysia team to try and secure promotion.
Hotlink and MOONTON have also announced a series of activations and initiatives, including the Hotlink Campus Initiative which aims to support grassroots events on campuses in Malaysia.
In addition, the winners of the MPL Malaysia will earn a direct slot in the MLBB Mid Season Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. ASUS Republic of Gamers and Nescafe have also returned as the official sponsors of the MPL Malaysia in 2024.
Leon Lee, Chief Operating Officer of IO Esports, commented on the news: “As one of the most prominent esports organisations in Southeast Asia, our ambition is to contribute to the development of future champions from Malaysia who will excel at future MLBB international events.
“With the M6 World Championship on the horizon, the MAL MY will serve to foster the growth of the esports community in Malaysia by creating a nurturing environment for talent and providing a clear path to professionalism.”
