M5 Wild Card Kickoff This Week! Who Will Secure Their Spot in World Championship?

• The first-ever M5 World Championship Wild Card will be held at the JioSpace arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 23 to 26 November.
• Qiddiya was unveiled as the Global Presenting Partner for the M5 World Championship 2023. ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) and Grab will return as the Official Gaming Phone Sponsor and Official SuperApp Partner, respectively.
• The Wild Card will feature eight international teams, with M5 Team China set to take the global arena.

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

This Wild Card event offers eight international teams a shot at qualifying for the M5 World Championship Group Stage in Manila. Representing regions like China, East Europe and Central Asia (EECA), Latin America, Malaysia, Mekong, Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and South Asia, this competition introduces teams from Mongolia, Nepal, and China to the global MLBB esports stage for the first time.This edition marks the return of Sasa, a seasoned MLBB player, eager to seize the opportunity on this grand Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Esports stage. Sasa competes under Team SMG, victors of the eighth season of MPL Malaysia and recent runners-up in Season 12.

M5 World Championship Partners Revealed

Qiddiya has been unveiled as the Global Presenting Partner for the M5 World Championship. Located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this giga project, devised by the Saudi Public Investment Fund as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 plan, aims to enhance the fan experience through engaging online and offline activations, offering immersive and interactive elements.

Arnab Bhattacharya, Director of Strategy for esports and gaming at Qiddiya, expressed, “The M5 World Championship stands among the globe’s most prestigious and competitive esports events, offering unparalleled experiences to esports enthusiasts in the Kingdom and beyond. Our collaboration with MOONTON Games, following our recent partnership with the Gamers8 festival in Riyadh, propels us closer to our aspiration of becoming the foremost global destination for entertainment, sports, and culture.”

Adrian Cher, Head of Regional Esports Sales at MOONTON Games, shared his enthusiasm, stating, “We’re thrilled to introduce Qiddiya as our Global Presenting Partner for the M5 World Championship. With our shared dedication and expertise in delivering top-notch, family-friendly entertainment experiences, and considering the substantial growth of esports in emerging regions like Saudi Arabia, we’re confident that the M5 World Championship will be an unforgettable affair for audiences worldwide.”

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) and Grab are returning as global partners for the M5 World Championship. ASUS ROG, the Official Gaming Phone Sponsor, will provide the ROG Phone 6 as the official tournament device, while Grab takes on the role of Official SuperApp Partner. MOONTON Games had previously collaborated with ASUS ROG for the Southeast Asia Cup (MSC) 2023 and Grab for the M4 World Championship.

These three global partners will be joined by their respective regional partners. In Malaysia for the M5 Wild Card, the regional partners include Presenting Partner Hotlink, Nescafe, Astro Arena, Esports Integrated, the Malaysian Ministry of Youth and Sports, TikTok, and TNTCO Store. In the Philippines for the M5 World Championship, the regional partners consist of Presenting Partner Smart Communications, Inc., Maya, the Department of Tourism Philippines, the Games and Amusements Board, Love the Philippines, EVM Convention Center, and Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

M5 Wild Card Format & Schedule

The M5 Wild Card comprises two stages: the Group Stage and the Crossover Matches.

During the Group Stage, the eight teams have been randomly allocated into two groups of four teams. Here, they will engage in a single round-robin format, contesting Best-Of-Three (BO3) matches.

GROUP A	GROUP B
4Merical Esports (Nepal)Champion of the MLBB Champion Battles Fall 2023	Umbrella Squad (EECA)2nd-place at the MLBB Continental Championships Season 2
Team SMG (Malaysia)2nd-place at MLBB Professional League Malaysia Season 12	Imperio E-sport (Peru)3rd-place at Liga Latam 2023
Team Falcons (Saudi Arabia)2nd-place at 2023 MLBB Professional League MENA Fall Split	Team Lilgun (Mongolia)Champion of the ESN National Championship 2023
Niightmare Esports (Laos)Champion of the M Challenge Cup Mekong Season 2	Keep Best Gaming (China)Champion of the China Qualifier

The Day 1 – Day 3 schedule is as follows:

By Day 4, the top two teams from each group will progress to the Crossover Matches. Here, the leading teams from each group will face off against the second-placed teams from the opposing group in a series of Best-of-Five (BO5) matches. The victorious teams from these matches secure qualification for the M5 World Championship.

The initial Crossover Match is scheduled for November 26, starting at 14:00 GMT+8. This series will be broadcasted 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. For a comprehensive list of livestream channels and languages, please refer to Appendix A.

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