SAUDI ARABIA, 5 June – The Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League Middle East and North Africa (MPL MENA) has announced partnerships with the Saudi Esports Federation (SEF) ahead of the Season 5 Playoffs. The Saudi Esports Federation (SEF), the national body for esports in Saudi Arabia, has been appointed as the MPL MENA Season 5 Partner in Esports and will sponsor the full cost of player travel visas for the Season 5 Playoffs.
The partnerships follow the recent overhaul to MPL MENA – to reflect the league's rapid growth and elevated status in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) Esports ecosystem. They also prepare the region for the Mid Season Cup (MSC) 2024, held in conjunction with the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where a life-changing USD 3 million prize pool awaits. The MPL MENA has two direct qualification slots to the MSC 2024 main stage, one of only three regions with two slots at the prestigious event.
Jaime Cruz, Head of Esports (Head of Esports, Middle East & Africa) at MOONTON Games, said: "We're delighted to team up with the SEF to bring esports enthusiasts in the Kingdom and beyond access to MENA's premier MLBB league. The rapid growth of MLBB esports in up-and-coming regions like Saudi Arabia, coupled with our shared commitment and expertise in creating professional, wholesome, and narrative-rich entertainment, make us supremely confident that the league will soar to greater heights this season."
Abdullah AlNasser, Head of Professional Esports at SEF, said: "Partnering with the MPL MENA marks a significant stride towards our vision of positioning the Kingdom at the forefront of the global esports scene. From the very beginning, we have been dedicated to delivering top-tier gaming and esports events for our community, and our collaboration with the MPL MENA will ensure that we bring world-class competition that delivers full excitement to our fans and community alike".
MPL MENA Season 5 Playoffs Schedule & Offline Activities
The Season 5 Playoffs will be held offline at VOV Gaming at ROSHN Front in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 13 to 15 June. The Playoffs will offer a host of exciting on-site activities, including meet-and-greets with MPL MENA professional players, exciting carnival games, and more. Fans can look forward to plenty of prizes and giveaways, including limited-edition MPL MENA and MLBB merchandise, and MLBB in-game Diamonds and skins. Entrance is free, while seating is on a first-come-first-served basis. Register now at bit.ly/MPLMENAS5PLAYOFFS
All matches will be broadcast live with commentary in Arabic.
The Playoffs will see the region's top six teams compete for the title and USD 100,000 prize pool. The Playoffs will have a double elimination format and be played in Best-Of-Three (BO3) matches except for the Lower Bracket Final (BO5) and Grand Final (BO7). Following the results of the Playoffs Play-Ins on 28 May, the Playoffs format is as follows:
