MLBB SEA Cup (MSC) 2023 announced with a major region change cover image

MLBB SEA Cup (MSC) 2023 announced with a major region change

The MLBB SEA Cup (MSC) 2023 has been announced with a major change. The Cup will now feature teams from around the world.

The Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) Southeast Asia (SEA) Cup (MSC) is set to return in 2023 with a major change. The tournament is becoming a global competition, albeit MOONTON is retaining the name. 

Here’s everything we know so far about the MSC 2023. 

MLBB SEA Cup (MSC) 2023: 12 teams from around the world will compete

The MSC 2023 will continue to have 12 teams, but the slots distribution has been revamped to make way for international squads outside SEA. 

This includes the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Turkey, and also North America. The list of competitions which will feed into the MSC 2023 are as follows: 

  • MPL Indonesia: Two slots
  • MPL Philippines: Two slots
  • MLBB Turkey Championship: One slot
  • MPL Malaysia: One slot
  • MPL Singapore: One slot
  • MLBB North America Challenger Tournament (NACT): One slot
  • MPL MENA: One slot
  • Mekong Qualifier: One slot
  • MPL Cambodia: One slot
  • Myanmar Qualifier: One slot

The tournament will take place from June 10 to 18 as an offline event. MOONTON hasn’t revealed the venue for the MSC 2023 yet. The schedule is as follows: 

  • Group Stage: June 10 to 13
  • Knockout Stage: June 15 to 17
  • Third-place match and Grand Finals: June 18

Last year, the MLBB SEA Cup (MSC) took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with $300,000 on the line. RSG Philippines took down RRQ Hoshi 4-0 in a one-sided final to become the champions. 

MOONTON continues to expand MLBB esports globally

The announcement of the MSC 2023 becoming a global competition comes at a time when MOONTON is focusing on growing the game globally. 

MLBB has been really popular ever since its release back in 2016 but much of this popularity is focused on SEA. The developer has been attempting to change this trend over the past year and has started investing in other regions as well. 

This includes the Middle East, Africa, Turkey, and North America. Last year, MOONTON also hosted the first LAN for MLBB esports in NA in Las Vegas. 

The expansion of the MSC won’t just stop with the three new regions in 2023, MOONTON has confirmed. The tournament will be further expanded in the future to become a global mid-season tournament in the MLBB esports roadmap. 

“The transition for the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Southeast Asia Cup into a global mid-season tournament has been planned in the pipeline for some time, and this year is a good start to kick-starting the transition. In line with our mission – Esports for Everyone; we wanted to provide these budding regions more opportunities to compete on an international level and will gradually look to upscaling the tournament model in the future.”

Sophie Guo, Regional Esports Lead, MOONTON Games.

The MSC 2022 set a new record for any other MLBB SEA Cup with a peak viewership of more than 2.8 million. With the expansion of the cup to new regions, it's likely that this number might be eclipsed in the MSC 2023. 


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