What Is The M5 Wild Card Qualifier? All You Need To Know

A much-awaited esports competition, the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) M5 World Championship, is scheduled to take place in the Philippines from December 2–17, 2023. The championship’s fifth iteration will be contested in the Philippines for the first time, with Malaysia serving as the host nation for the wildcard round. 16 teams from different areas will compete for a hefty payout of $900,000 in the M5 World Championship. A group stage, double-elimination playoffs, and a grand finals matchup are all part of the tournament structure.

Background

The Mobile Legends: Bang Bang World Championship is a major esports event for the well-known mobile game, and it is in its fifth version, the M5 World Championship, which comes after the M4 edition. Interestingly, this edition will take place in the Philippines instead of Malaysia, Singapore, or Indonesia as it has in the past. Malaysia will host the thrilling wildcard round, which is a new feature of the competition.

Venue

The group stage and the first knockout stage of the M5 World Championship will be held at the EVM Convention Centre in Quezon City, which is located in Metro Manila. The grand finals and further elimination stages will take place at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila on December 17. The event is being organized by the Department of Tourism in association with Moonton, the tournament organizer.

Qualified Teams

The MPL (Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League) regions and Moonton-approved qualification events are two of the ways teams compete in the M5 World Championship qualifying. Teams from Latin America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and North America will compete in the event. Two teams from the M5 Wildcard round will also advance.

Wildcard Qualifiers

Teams can earn a seat in the M5 World Championship by competing in the M5 Wild Card Qualifier, which serves as a precursor to the main competition. From November 23 to November 26, 2023, Malaysia will host this wildcard event. The two teams who place highest after this qualifying move on to the main competition.

Eight teams are split into two groups at random during the group round of the wildcard event. All matches are played in a Best of One (Bo1) format, with a single round-robin included in the format. After the top two teams from each group advance to a crossover match, the first-place team from each group plays the second-place team from the opposite group in a Best of 3 (Bo3) series. The victors of these games will move on to the group stage of the M5 World Championship, while the losers will be eliminated.

Notable Teams and Players

Renowned teams and individuals from past editions, such as ONIC Esports, RRQ Akira, and Team SMG, will be on display during the M5 World Championship. Notably, returning will be AP Bren and Burmese Ghouls, who squared off in the M2 World Championship finals. Teams from South Asia, the Mekong Region, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Mongolia, the Middle East and North Africa, China, and Malaysia will compete in the wildcard round.

Group Stage and Knockout Format

With 16 teams split into two groups, the main event will begin with a group stage on December 2–7. The top two teams from each group move on to the knockout stage in this single-round-robin format. A double-elimination bracket structure will be used for the knockout stage, which runs from December 9 to December 17. All matches will be played in the Best of 5 (Bo5) series, except the Grand Finals, which will be played in the Best of 7 (Bo7) series.

Marketing and Sponsorship

Companies such as ASUS Republic of Gamers, Qiddiya, Grab Unlimited, and Smart Telecommunications are among those that have sponsored the M5 World Championships. Spectators may see the fierce action as it happens as the tournament is televised live in participating nations and throughout the world.

 M5 Pass and Theme Song

The M5 Pass, an in-game pass that offers incentives and prizes for players finishing daily chores and challenges, has been released by Moonton. Exclusive M5 effects, skins, and in-game awards are all included with the pass. The official tournament theme song, “Better Than Great,” has now been made available on Spotify.

 Controversies

There have been a few controversies surrounding the event, most notably the removal of several Filipino players from the MLBB M5 Greatest Players Nominee list. This sparked debates and withdrawals from the nomination, underscoring the difficulties and complications involved in planning a major esports competition.

To sum up, the MLBB M5 World Championship and its wildcard qualification offer a thrilling and competitive worldwide display of mobile gaming ability. Throughout the competition, spectators can anticipate exciting matches and memorable moments as elite teams from various areas compete for dominance.