Tournament organiser PGL has revealed the PGL Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) Challengers EU Open Qualifier, marking its debut in the mobile title’s esports scene.
According to a blog post, the EU Open Qualifier will take place on Tuesday, January 13th, starting at 5:00 PM CET.
Registrations for the tournament are currently open through the Battlefy website, with check-ins opening 30 minutes before the qualifier begins.
The tournament will feature a single-elimination format, with the majority of games being BO1. Later on, the advancement matches that decide the qualifying teams will be played as BO3.
The PGL MLBB Challengers EU Open Qualifier will conclude with eight teams moving on to the Challengers Main Event, which is scheduled to take place from January 16th to 18th.
According to the rulebook, the main event will see the eight qualified teams randomly seeded into a double-elimination bracket.
The first round of the Upper Bracket and rounds one to three of the Lower Brackets will be BO3. The second round and Final for the Upper Bracket, alongside the Lower Bracket Final, will be BO5 series. Following at least an hour break after the Lower Bracket Final, the Grand Final will be played as BO7.
There will be a total prize pool of €4,700 (~$5,500/£4,100) up for grabs, with €300 (~$350/£260) awarded to the tournament MVP.
It is a major venture for PGL, known for running events in other esports titles such as Dota 2 and Counter-Strike 2, as it expands into the MLBB esports scene
What’s Happening to MLBB Esports in 2026?
PGL enters the MLBB esports scene at a crucial point, as all eyes are currently on the M7 World Championship in Jakarta, Indonesia. The culminating event of the 2025 season is running from January 3rd to 25th, with the top 22 international teams competing for a $1m (~£741,500) prize pool.
Following M7’s conclusion, the 2026 season of MLBB esports will begin. The next significant event will be the MLBB Super League Thailand Season 1, kicking off in February.
The year will also see major shifts in the MLBB esports scene across various regions. The game’s developer, MOONTON Games recently shared that the MLBB Professional League (MPL) will adopt a franchised model from 2026 onwards, similarly to Indonesia and the Philippines. Elsewhere, the developer revealed that the North America Challenger Tournament will make a planned 2026 return.
