Kuala lumpur: The champions of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) Academy League (MAL) Malaysia will have a new pathway to the M8 World Championship following the introduction of the MLBB Championship Tour Southeast Asia (MCT SEA) in the fourth quarter of this year.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, under the new format, the MAL Malaysia champions will face the winners of the MLBB Development League (MDL) Indonesia and MDL Philippines in Group D, known as the Open League Qualifier Group, with the three teams competing for one spot in the MCT SEA Knockout Playoffs.

The MCT SEA includes 12 teams from 11 Southeast Asian countries and is part of MLBB's global esports expansion. This initiative provides emerging teams outside the established franchised leagues with a pathway to the world stage.

Southeast Asia is now the third regional chapter under MLBB's five-region global strategy, unveiled this year. The global structure also covers the Americas (AMER), East Asia (EA), Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA), complementing MLBB Esports' established franchised leagues.

The inaugural MCT SEA will feature representatives from Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia, Singapore, Vietnam, Timor-Leste, Brunei, Laos, and Thailand through their respective leagues or local qualifiers.

MOONTON Games Head of Esports Southeast Asia Dylan Chia stated that the MCT SEA would provide qualifying teams across the region with a shared championship opportunity to earn their place at the M8. Chia emphasized the opportunity for emerging players and teams to prove themselves, build their profiles, reach new audiences, and advance towards the global stage.

The top two teams in the MCT SEA Knockout Playoffs will qualify directly for the M8 Main Stage in Istanbul, Trkiye, while the third and fourth-placed teams will move to the M8 Wild Card in Bangkok, Thailand. Three teams from the Wild Card will subsequently secure their places in the M8 Main Stage.

The inaugural MCT SEA will offer a prize pool of US$50,000.