MANILA, Philippines – Venturing outside Southeast Asia for the first time, the rebranded midyear tournament of Mobile Legends Bang Bang (MLBB), the MLBB Mid Season Cup (MSC) as well as the MLBB Women’s Invitational will be happening in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during the first Esports World Cup.
Announced last October, the Esports World Cup will be a yearly event that features different esports tournaments run by the Esports World Cup Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by the Saudi Arabian government.
“We have been operating MPL MENA for two years. Over time, we’ve seen its growth in viewership and audience. We also visited the Gamers8 event last year and we were satisfied seeing the production quality of the event and it’s aligned with our values as a company: to deliver the best player experience across the globe. Naturally, the discussion began in what areas we could potentially collaborate in the future, to introduce Mobile Legends esports as a product to a wider audience. That’s where the conversations kicked-off,” Moonton Games’ Head of Esports Ecosystems Ray Ng said in an interview with the media.
The rebranded MSC will see teams from the Philippines, Indonesia, Middle East and North Africa, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Myanmar, North America, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Turkey, Latin America and China competing for the largest prize pool in MLBB history — $3 million. Similar to the M5, MSC 2024 will also see a wild card chance for teams to have another chance to qualify for Riyadh.
The MWI will also see a larger prize pool of $500,000 and with teams from the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore; China, the Middle East and North Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia; the Mekong Region (Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam); Brazil and North America.
“By putting the men’s and women’s tournament within the same period of time, that helps us introduce the women’s gaming community to a wider audience. With the partnership with the Esports World Cup Foundation, and having MWI be part of the Esports World Cup, we are able to make MWI into a global product,” said Ng.
MSC 2024 and MWI 2024 will happen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from July to August, with MSC 2024 slated from July 1-14.