Updated: December 18

It's that time of year again when the most exciting event on the Mobile Legends esports calendar is approaching, beginning November 23! This time around, the epic battlegrounds of Malaysia and the Philippines will witness history unfold as the best teams across the globe clash in a fight for glory.

For 2023, the M5 World Championship is turning the tables with a massive tournament format shakeup. They are introducing a Wildcard stage, a prize pool increase from $800,000 to a whopping $900,000, and participation from new and returning countries into the fray! May the best team win.

Read on for our comprehensive MLBB M5 World Championship guide, covering the schedule, format, all 22 teams competing, and the current standings.

M5 World Championship: Format

The fifth iteration of the M World Championship, organized by Moonton, comprises of several stages, beginning with the all-new Wildcard Stage. Held in Malaysia, teams will have a last-chance qualifier to secure their spot as a Wild Card team in the main tournament.

Take a look below to see our full breakdown of the M5 World Championship format.

Wildcard (November 23 - 25)

  • Eight teams will be divided into two groups.
  • They compete in a single-round robin, where all matches are played Bo3.
  • The top two teams from each group will play in the Crossover Match.
  • The bottom two teams from each group are eliminated.

Crossover Match (November 26)

  • The first-place team will compete Bo5 against the second-place team from the other group.
  • The winner of each match advance to the Group Stage.
  • Losing teams are eliminated.

Group Stage (December 2 - 7)

  • Sixteen teams will be divided into four groups. (14 qualified teams and 2 Wild Card)
  • They compete in a single-round robin, where all matches are played Bo3.
  • The top two teams from each group (eight in total) advance to the Knockout Stage.

Knockout Stage (December 9 - 17)

  • Eight teams from the Group Stage play in a double-elimination bracket.
  • All matches are played as Bo5, except the Grand Final, which is Bo7.

M5 World Championship: Teams

Twenty-two of the best teams will compete for the title of World Champion at the final major competition of the 2023 season, the M5 World Championship. Will Blacklist International be able to top their runner-up performance from last year and win the title?

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Eight teams will compete in the Wildcard Stage for two rare slots in the main event. Fourteen qualified teams have already made it to the Group Stage following their respective performances in regional leagues like MPL PH S12, MPL ID S12, etc.

Keep reading to see all the teams competing, including their complete player rosters and the different regions they've qualified from.

Group Stage Qualified Teams

  • AP.Bren (MPL PH 12 #1): FlapTzy, KyleTzy, Pheww, Super Marco, Owgwen
  • Blacklist International (MPL PH S12 #2): Edward, Sensui, Hadji, Oheb, Renejay
  • ONIC Esports (MPL ID #1): Butsss, Kairi, Sanz, CW, Kiboy
  • Geek Fam ID (MPL ID #2): Luke, Nnael, Aboy, Markyyyyy, Baloyskie
  • RRQ Akira (LIGA LATAM #2): Tekashi, Kiing, Seigen, Luiiz, Gustalagusta
  • Bigetron Sons (LIGA LATAM 2023 #2): Bllack, Buzizio, Sindra, Upa, Lunna
  • HomeBois (MPL MY S12 #1): Sepat, Chibil, Warlord, RaizeL, Xorn
  • Team Flash (MPL SG S6): Adammir, Hadess, Jayy, Vanix, Lolsie
  • See You Soon (MPL KH Autumn): FELIX, MP the King, Raa, Kousei, BOXI
  • Triple Esports (MPL MENA Fall #1): Sanji, Tarzan, Cuffin, Fury, Trolll
  • Deus Vult (MCC S2 #1): Kid Bomba, Magistor, Sunset Lover, Carvi, SAWO
  • Fire Flux Esports (MTC Turkiye Championship): Alien, Tienzy, Rosa, Sunshine, APEX47
  • TheOhioBrothers (NACT Fall): Mielow, bestplayer1, Hoon, ZIA, SHARK
  • Burmese Ghouls (Myanmar Qualifier): Carbon, Niko, Lina, Stitch, Blink

Wildcard Teams

  • Imperio (LIGA LATAM 2023 #3): Markinho, AURORAA, Feshin, Yur, Stephe
  • Team SMG (MPL MY S12 #2): Smooth, Saxa, Stormie, Sasa, Mikko
  • Umbrella Squad (MCC S2 #2): Castle, Mark, Troublemarker, black march, A F K
  • 4Merical Esports (MCB Fall): Masarap, Lunatic Panda, Xerox, Yahiko, Clock
  • Niightmare Esports (M Challenge Cup S2): Juviana, 2Ez4Lexxy, Sosoul, Khammy, J4ZBIN
  • Team Lilgun (ENC Mongolia): Azin, Zxaura, Forbid, Bebex, Ethan
  • Team Falcons (MPL MENA Fall #2): Hulk, Lio, Goodnight, Lawtrick, Super
  • KeepBest Gaming (China Qualifier): Siyi, Simba, LMU, GodYang, Tides

M5 World Championship: Venues and Streams

Adding to the immense excitement of the event, the M5 World Championship will be split across two regions. Malaysia will be the primary host of the Wild Card stage, held at the Jio Space.

The Philippines plays host to the central portion of the tournament. The Group Stage and Knockout Stage will be hosted at the EVM Convention Center in Quezon City, Metro Manila, with over 1,000 seating capacity.

Finally, the M5 World Championship Grand Finals will happen at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum venue. Tickets have unfortunately sold out, but don't worry! All games will be live-streamed in English across all Mobile Legends: Bang Bang official platforms.

For region-specific live streams, broadcasts will be available for Indonesia, the Middle East, Singapore, the Philippines, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Turkey, and Portuguese-speaking regions.

M5 World Championship: Schedule

The M5 World Championship officially kicked off on November 23 with the all-new Wildcard Stage, as Team Lilgun and Team SMG join the other 14 qualified teams for the main event.

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M5 World Championship: Knockout Stage Schedule

Like the Wildcard Stage, all times for the Knockout Stage will be in PHT.

December 9: Upper Bracket Quarterfinals (Bo5)

  • 2:00 PM: Deus Vult vs. Fire Flux Esports
  • 6:00 PM: Blacklist International vs. ONIC Esports

December 10: Upper Bracket Quarterfinals (Bo5)

  • 2:00 PM: AP.Bren vs. See You Soon
  • 6:00 PM: Geek Fam ID vs. Burmese Ghouls

December 11: Lower Bracket Round 1 (Bo5)

  • 2:00 PM: Blacklist International vs. Fire Flux Esports
  • 6:00 PM: See You Soon vs. Burmese Ghouls

December 12: Upper Bracket Semifinals (Bo5)

  • 2:00 PM: ONIC Esports vs. Deus Vult
  • 6:00 PM: AP.Bren vs. Geek Fam ID

December 15: Lower Bracket Quarterfinals (Bo5)

  • 2:00 PM: Blacklist International vs. Geek Fam ID
  • 6:00 PM: See You Soon vs. Deus Vult

December 16: Lower Bracket Semifinal (Bo5)

  • 11:00 AM: Blacklist International vs. Deus Vult

December 16: Upper Bracket Final (Bo5)

  • 3:00 PM: ONIC Esports vs. AP.Bren

December 16: Lower Bracket Final (Bo5)

  • 7:00 PM: AP.Bren vs. Blacklist International

December 17: Grand Final (Bo7)

  • 5:30 PM: AP.Bren vs. ONIC Esports

M5 World Championship: Prize Pool Distribution and Standings

Standings

Team Name (s)

Prize Money

1st

AP.Bren

$300,000

2nd

ONIC Esports

$120,000

3rd

Blacklist International

$80,000

4th

Deus Vult

$55,000

5th - 6th

Geek Fam ID, See You Soon

$40,000

7th - 8th

Burmese Ghouls, Fire Flux Esports

$30,000

9th - 12th

Triple Esports, Team SMG, Team Flash, HomeBois

$20,000

13th - 16th

Bigetron Sons, RRQ Akira, Team Lilgun, TheOhioBrothers

$15,000

17th - 18th

Imperio, Niightmare Esports

$10,000

19th - 20th

Umbrella Squad, Team Falcons

$10,000

21st - 22nd

KeepBest Gaming, 4Merical

$10,000

Final Thoughts

That's everything we know about the Mobile Legends M5 World Championship, the biggest MLBB event on the calendar! Who will be crowned the world champions this time around? Only time will tell. We'll update this article frequently with results, schedule changes, and standings, so watch this space!

Want more MLBB content? Check out our MLBB tier list, the best heroes for beginners, the best skins, Battle Spells, and how to get free diamonds. Interested in more MLBB esports? Read our ONE Esports MPLI 2023 overview to get your fix.