Get ready, Mobile Legends fans! MOONTON Games is shaking things up in the final quarter of 2026 with the official launch of the MLBB Championship Tour Southeast Asia (MCT SEA). This isn’t just another tournament; it’s a massive step in expanding the game’s global footprint, giving the region’s best non-franchised teams a legitimate shot at qualifying for the M8 World Championship.
Southeast Asia is now the third major region to join the new MCT system, following the successful rollout in the Americas and East Asia. The launch aligns perfectly with MLBB’s 10th anniversary in September, celebrating a decade of growth from a local passion project to a worldwide esports phenomenon.
Dylan Chia, MOONTON’s Head of Esports in Southeast Asia, is hyped about the move, noting that MCT SEA is all about giving rising stars a platform to take their skills to the international stage and show exactly what the SEA scene is capable of.
So, how’s it going to work? The inaugural season features 12 teams from 11 countries, with group stages kicking off on December 9–10. Groups A, B, and C will be packed with heavy hitters from Myanmar, Cambodia, and Singapore, alongside hungry qualifiers from Vietnam, Timor-Leste, Brunei, Laos, and Thailand. As the host nation, Thailand is doubling down with two slots in the mix.
Over in Group D, the top champions from the MDL in the Philippines and Indonesia, plus Malaysia’s MAL, will be battling it out for a single, high-stakes playoff spot.
The pressure is on: the top two teams from Groups A, B, and C punch their tickets straight to the playoffs. For those who finish third, it’s not over yet, they’ll still have one last chance to stay alive in the LCQ on December 10.
The main event runs from December 11–13, where teams will fight for a $50,000 USD prize pool and the very first MCT SEA cup. But the real prize? The top two finishers qualify directly for the M8 World Championship main stage in Istanbul, while the third and fourth-place teams head to Bangkok for the M8 Wild Card stage.
This expansion follows a record-breaking M7 that saw over 5.68 million peak viewers and generated a staggering 158 million euros in partner value. With global giants like Red Bull, Visa, and the NBA already on board, the future of MLBB esports has never looked brighter.
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