Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) Academy League Malaysia (MAL MY) returns tomorrow for Season 3. Organised by MOONTON Games and IO Esports, the new season of MLBB Esports Malaysia's developmental league will offer a more diverse and competitive stage for aspiring esports athletes to pursue careers in professional MLBB esports. Season 3 carries a ~MYR 88,700 (USD 20,000) prize pool.
MAL MY is MOONTON Games' initiative to build the esports talent pipeline in Malaysia by providing young players with a more structured entry into the world of professional esport. The developmental league acts as the bridge between Malaysia's grassroots and national-level esports, with its strongest teams receiving promotion to the biggest competitive stage in Malaysia—MLBB Professional League (MPL) Malaysia. Presented by Realme and powered by strategic partner, Rexagon, MAL MY Season 3 is backed by the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS), Rakan Muda, Esports Integrated (ESI), and the Malaysia Esports Federation (MESF).
A More Diverse & Competitive Season Ahead!
The new season will feature more representation, with all-female team, Johor Angels, and collegiate team, MSL x UITM, earning direct invitations to the competitive MAL MY arena. This season will feature 15 female athletes, the highest number in MLBB Esports Malaysia history.
MPL Malaysia superstars, Muhammad Danial "Cikugais" bin Mohamad Fuad, Zikry "Moon" Bin Shamsuddin, and Muhammad Syafizan Najmi "Garyy" Bin Kamarulzaman, are expected to star with Cikugais Esports in Season 3. The trio of veterans have each won MPL Malaysia at least once and are strong favourites to secure a promotion slot in MPL Malaysia. Cikugais and Moon are two of only three players in the world to have participated in all four of the first M Series (M1 to M4), MOONTON Games' flagship international MLBB tournament.
MAL MY Season 3 Format Explainer
Season 3 comprises two separate conferences—the Challenger Conference, comprising the top four teams from MAL MY Season 2 and two teams from the Open Qualifiers; and the Affiliated Conference, which features six junior teams from Season 15 of MPL Malaysia.
The Season 3 Regular Season will be a similar format to Season 2 and will take place across two stages. Stage 1 will run for four weeks from 12 April to 6 May; Stage 2 will be held for two weeks from 12 to 22 May. Stage 1 will see teams play Best-Of-Three (BO3), single round-robin matches within each respective Conferences. The top eight teams from the Challenger Conference and the top four teams from the Affiliated Conference will advance to Stage 2—the cross-Conference leg of the competition.
Stage 2 will see teams from the Affiliated Conference and Challenger Conference matching up against each other in a single round-robin, Best-Of-Three. Teams will play every other team from the opposing conference for a period of 2 weeks, with the top six teams from the Challenger Conference and top four teams from the Affiliated Conference moving on to the Playoffs. The Playoffs will take place from 26 to 29 June.
The Challenger Conference Playoffs format has been revamped in Season 3 to offer teams quicker promotion to MPL Malaysia Season 16. The Semi-Finals match between the final two Challenger Conference will see the winning team secure their spot in Season 16 of MPL Malaysia, while the losing team will face off against the 9th-placed team in MPL Malaysia Season 15 in the "Challenger vs Defender" match, with the winning team to earn a slot in MPL Malaysia Season 16.
