MSC 2025

{{See also|Esports World Cup}}

MSC 2025 will be held once again coinciding with the 2025 Esports World Cup, a yearly international tournament held is Saudi Arabia where most of major esports titles are competed by the worlds' renowned teams such as League of Legends, Dota 2, PUBG: Battlegrounds, and Valorant. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang was part of the inaugural EWC in 2024{{Cite web |date=2024-06-13 |title=All 21 games in the Esports World Cup 2024 {{!}} ONE Esports |url=https://www.oneesports.gg/gaming/all-games-in-the-esports-world-cup-2024/ |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=www.oneesports.gg |language=en-US}} and is the first time that the tournament was played under the name "Mid-Season Cup" alluding similarities to the League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational or MSI.

Similarly to MSC 2024, the venue for MSC 2025 will be in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with details regarding the main venues to be announced.

Fifteen of the sixteen group-stage teams will be outright qualifying from major regions in Mobile Legends. These regions have made a name for themselves as the home of powerhouse teams including Indonesia{{Cite web |last=News |first=BEA MICALLER, GMA Integrated |date=2023-06-18 |title=Kairi, Yeb steer Onic Esports to MSC 2023 title, denies Blacklist International |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/sports/othersports/873317/kairi-yeb-steer-onic-to-msc-2023-title-denies-blacklist/story/ |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=GMA News Online |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2019-06-24 |title=Indonesia's ONIC Esports takes MSC 2019 crown {{!}} ONE Esports |url=https://www.oneesports.gg/mobile-legends/indonesias-onic-esports-takes-msc-2019-crown/ |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=www.oneesports.gg |language=en-US}} and the Philippines{{Cite web |date=2021-06-13 |title=Execration dominate Blacklist International 4-1 to take MSC crown |url=https://sg.news.yahoo.com/execration-dominate-blacklist-international-to-take-msc-crown-mlbb-142756750.html |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Yahoo News |language=en-SG}}{{Cite web |date=2022-06-19 |title=RSG Philippines sweep RRQ Hoshi 4-0 to claim Mobile Legends SEA Cup 2022 title |url=https://sg.news.yahoo.com/rsg-philippines-sweep-rrq-hoshi-mobile-legends-sea-cup-2022-title-msc-140729970.html |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Yahoo News |language=en-SG}} alongside emerging powerhouse regions such as Malaysia{{Cite web |last=Siasat |first=J. M. |date=2024-07-15 |title=SRG stuns Falcons AP Bren; wins MSC 2024 |url=https://tribune.net.ph/2024/07/14/srg-stuns-falcons-ap-bren-wins-msc-2024 |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Daily Tribune |language=en}} and Singapore.{{Cite web |last=Suntama |first=Permadi |date=2024-07-13 |title=Jadwal Playoff Semifinal MSC MLBB 2024: Red Giant vs Flash |url=https://tirto.id/jadwal-playoff-semifinal-msc-mlbb-2024-red-giant-vs-flash-g1Am |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=tirto.id |language=id}} Also included in the group-stage are established regions in their own right, with Moonton accredited competitions being the qualifying tournament for MSC such as Cambodia, MENA, North America, and Turkey. Meanwhile, Myanmar's inception returned following all esports competition halting in the region due to the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état{{Cite web |last=Coloma |first=Angel |date=April 6, 2022 |title=Mobile Legends: MSC to be held in Malaysia; 2 PH teams to compete |url=https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/04/06/22/mobile-legends-msc-to-be-held-in-malaysia-as-ph-seeks-title-defense |access-date=May 20, 2025 |website=www.abs-cbn.com}} and China with its growing esports base was seemed fitting to be of the same caliber as pre-established teams.{{Cite web |date=2024-07-03 |title=MSC 2024 teams: All teams qualified for the tournament {{!}} ONE Esports |url=https://www.oneesports.gg/mobile-legends/qualified-msc-2024-teams/ |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=www.oneesports.gg |language=en-US}}

Eight teams from the different regions of accredited Moonton tournaments will battle for the one wildcard slot in the group stage. These eight teams will be grouped into two different groups and will follow the GSL Format{{Emdash}}The Global StarCraft II League Format{{Emdash}}where all teams have three chances to qualify for the knockouts.{{Cite web |title=What is the GSL-style format? {{!}} Esports tournament formats |url=https://www.pinnacle.com/en/esports-hub/betting-articles/educational/what-is-gsl-style-format/mlr2u3y7mxvataj2 |access-date=2025-06-24 |website=www.pinnacle.com}} The GSL Format has been used as the tournament format for several esports titles including the aforementioned StarCraft II and Dota 2.

In the opening match, the four teams will play a Best-of-3 series. Winning teams will advance and face each other in the winner's bracket while losing teams will advance to the loser's bracket. The team who wins in the winner's bracket will qualify for the knockout stage while the losing team will wait for the winner in the losers bracket. Simultaneously, the winner of the loser's bracket will face the loser of the winner's bracket while the loser of the loser's bracket will be eliminated.

In the redemption round, whoever wins Round 3 will qualify for the knockout stage while the loser will be eliminated. All teams who won 2-0 and 2-1 series will advance, those who loss 1-2 and 0-2 will be eliminated. The four teams who qualified for the knockout stage will battle each other to advance to the wild card finals. The winner of the wild card finals will qualify for the group stage.

In the group stage, the two representatives from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia, joined by the champions of Myanmar and the EECA (CIS) will be put in Seed 1 while the remaining teams will be put into Seed 2. According to the group stage format video released by MLBB esports on [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02aewKFc10A&ab_channel=MLBBeSports YouTube] these teams were split into two groups prompting regional diversity as per caster Gideon Khew "GideonQ" Wei Yung. All of these teams will be drawn into two brackets and no region will be bracketed in the same group.

Each team will then play a Best-of-3 series in a double-elimination format. Similarly to the Wild Card stage, teams with a record of 2-0 and 2-1 advances and qualifies to the knockout stage while teams with a 1-2 and 0-2 record will be eliminated.

In the knockout stage, the eight qualified teams will be divided into two groups: teams who won 2-0, and teams who won 2-1. Teams with a 2-0 advantage will have the luxury to pick their 2-1 challengers. In the same video, the thought of a 2-0 team picking a weaker 2-1 team is palpable however, tides may turn regardless of their opponents. As of June 24, according to Yung, the team who will pick first will only be determined once the competition begins. For the first time since MSC 2023, a third-place match will be introduced. All matches in the knockout stage from the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and the Third Place match will be a Best-of-5. Only the Grand Finals will be a Best-of-7.

A total of sixteen teams will be competing in the Group Stage while only eight are to advance to the knockout stage. Details regarding the format of MSC 2025 are still to be announced however, with the recent announcement of qualifier and slot allocations for every participating region, the wild card stage will return for the third-consecutive time since its inception in 2023.{{Cite web |date=2025-04-02 |title=MLBB MSC 2025 X EWC Details: Schedule, Teams & More - Hotspawn |url=https://www.hotspawn.com/mlbb/news/mlbb-msc-2025-x-ewc |access-date=2025-05-20 |language=en-US}}

For MSC 2025, Japan will be making its MLBB comeback. Japan last competed on a MLBB competition during the MLBB M2 World Championships and has since not competed.{{Cite web |title=Japan's long-awaited return: MSC 2025 sees historic MLBB comeback |url=https://www.spin.ph/esports/esports-world-cup-x-msc-2025-global-expansion-shatters-records-a7981-20250331?ref=home_feed_1 |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Spin.ph |language=en}}

Majority of the qualified teams for MSC 2025 are returning teams from the previous edition and/or during the Southeast Asian Cup editions of the games. These include current champions Selangor Red Giants OG Esports (2024) and former champions ONIC Esports (2019, 2023). MSC 2025 is uniquely the first edition of the games where two sister-teams have qualified for the tournament, that being ONIC Esports and ONIC Philippines.

Legend:

{{Colorbox|#FAE7B5|Bold}} - Background denotes that the team is the Defending champions.

{{Colorbox|ACE5EE}} - Background denotes that the team is the Former MSC champions.

{{Colorbox|FFFF99}} - Background denotes that the team's best finish is the Playoff/Knockout stage in its history.

{{Colorbox|FFA6C9}} - Background denotes that the team's best finish is the Group Stage in its history.

{{Colorbox|ACE1AF}} - Background denotes that the team's best finish is the Wild Card Stage in its history.

{{Colorbox|8FBC8F}} - Background denotes that it's the team's first time qualifying for MSC.

Also occurring in the 2025 Esports World Cup is the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women's Invitational, the second iteration of the MWI to be held coinciding with both MSC and EWC 2025, and the third iteration of the tournament itself. The MWI is the professional female division of the MLBB esports competition and is the pinnacle tournament for the female division.{{Cite web |date=2025-05-15 |title=MLBB Women's Invitational To Feature 16 Teams At EWC 2025 - Hotspawn |url=https://www.hotspawn.com/mlbb/news/mlbb-womens-invitational-feature-16-teams |access-date=2025-06-18 |language=en-US}}

MWI will feature sixteen teams from across the international scene. Similarly to its male counterparts, the group stage format will be the similar except, MWI will feature four group stage bracket qualifiers instead of two. Each team will be grouped into four and this will determine the eight teams that would qualify for the playoffs and the eight teams to be eliminated.{{Cite web |date=2025-05-28 |title=Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women's Invitational: Esports World Cup Info, Schedule |url=https://www.si.com/esports/news/mobile-legends-bang-bang-womens-invitational-esports-world-cup |access-date=2025-06-18 |website=Esports Illustrated On SI |language=en-US}}

Defending MWI champions NAVI Philippines{{Emdash}}the team that acquired the roster of Smart Omega Empress{{Cite web |title=NAVI enter female MLBB scene - Natus Vincere |url=https://navi.gg/en/publications/navi-enter-female-mlbb |access-date=2025-06-18 |website=navi.gg}}{{Emdash}}will be defending their title in this edition of MWI.{{Cite web |title=NAVI aims for MWI title defense and Filipina MLBB players empowerment |url=https://www.spin.ph/esports/navi-ph-aims-to-inspire-a-generation-of-female-esports-pros-a7981-20250608 |access-date=2025-06-18 |website=Spin.ph |language=en}}

Most regions held local qualifiers for female teams to qualify for MWI 2025 however, Indonesian representatives Team Vitality and ONIC Pertiwi are both teams that have finished Top 2 in a Southeast Asian Invitational league Battle of Gamehers{{Cite web |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/DKe75pYyGyn/?locale=de&hl=am-et |access-date=2025-06-18 |website=www.instagram.com}} of which, NAVI Philippines were among to compete. Vitality were the champions of this invitational while Pertiwi were third behind NAVI PH.

Like MSC 2025, two sister teams have qualified for MWI 2025, NAVI Philippines and NAVI Malaysia whom have their main team, NAVI Indonesia competing in MPL Indonesia.

Legend:

{{Colorbox|#FAE7B5|Bold}} - Background denotes that the team is the Defending champions.

{{Colorbox|ACE5EE}} - Background denotes that the team is the Former MWI champions.

{{Colorbox|FFFF99}} - Background denotes that the team's best finish is the Playoff/Knockout stage in its history.

{{Colorbox|FFA6C9}} - Background denotes that the team's best finish is the Group Stage in its history.

{{Colorbox|ACE1AF}} - Background denotes that the team's best finish is the Wild Card Stage in its history.

{{Colorbox|8FBC8F}} - Background denotes that it's the team's first time qualifying for MSC.

• Esports World Cup
• 2025 Esports World Cup
• MSC 2024

{{reflist}}{{MLBBesports}}

Category:Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid Season Cup

Category:2025 in esports