MOONTON Games today unveiled revamped tournament formats for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) at the 2026 Esports World Cup (EWC). The new competition structures will shape historic editions of the Mid Season Cup (MSC) and MLBB Women's International (MWI), as both tournaments mark their largest-ever showings. Designed to support the growth of MLBB's international mid-season circuit, the new formats will raise the discipline's competitiveness on the world's largest multi-title esports stage.

Tiger Xu, Global Head of MLBB Esports at MOONTON Games, said: "As MSC and MWI continue to grow, our tournament formats must evolve alongside the rising level of competition across the MLBB ecosystem. The road to championship contention is now more demanding, challenging teams to consistently perform under pressure. With new teams and more regions entering the tournaments, these changes are part of our broader strategy to strengthen the global competitiveness of our ecosystem. This aligns with MOONTON Games' long-term global vision and our commitment to establishing MLBB as one of the world's leading esports disciplines."

New path awaits teams chasing MSC glory

MSC at EWC 26 will feature a 25-team championship, with the Wild Card expanding to 10 teams in its largest edition to date. To accommodate the expanded lineup and create a more competitive qualification path, the Wild Card will unfold across three phases.

• Phase 1 of the Wild Card adopts a Best-of-One (BO1) single round-robin format. The ten teams will be divided into two groups, where the top team from each group secures automatic qualification to Phase 3, while the bottom-placed teams are eliminated. The remaining six teams proceed to Phase 2.

• Phase 2 introduces MSC's first cross-group gauntlet format, where lower-placed teams enter a high-pressure elimination path. The fourth-placed teams from each group will first face the third-placed teams, with the winners progressing to challenge the second-placed teams. The final winners of each group will advance to Phase 3.

• Phase 3 culminates with a cross-group BO3 single-elimination bracket for the final four Wild Card teams. The winner will secure the coveted Group Stage slot.

The Group Stage will feature the final 16 teams divided into two groups, where they will compete in a BO3 double-elimination format. The top four teams from each group will advance to the Knockout Stage. 

The remaining eight teams will then battle in a BO5 single-elimination bracket to fight for a place in the tournament's final stages. MSC at EWC 26 will see the return of the BO5 Semi Finals to determine which team will secure a third-place podium finish. The tournament will culminate in a BO7 Grand Finals to crown the tournament's new champions.

A new chapter for women's esports 

MWI (formerly MLBB Women's Invitational) will also celebrate its largest edition to date, reflecting the continued growth of women's MLBB Esports. Earlier this year, MOONTON Games announced the tournament's rebranded International identity—marking its evolution into a fully-realised global championship. This year's edition features open qualifiers across more than 60 regions, alongside the debut of MWI's Western Europe qualifiers, further expanding the tournament's international reach.

MWI at EWC 26 will feature 16 teams divided into two groups, where they will compete in a BO3 double-elimination format during the Group Stage. The top four teams from each group will advance to the Knockout Stage.

In line with MWI's evolution, the tournament will introduce seeded matchups in the Knockout Stage for the first time. Teams that qualify through the Upper Brackets of the Group Stage will earn a competitive advantage, reinforcing the importance of strong performances throughout the tournament. The four Upper Bracket teams (Pool 1) will be ranked based on a tie-breaking hierarchy and will each select their opponents from the four Lower Bracket teams (Pool 2). More information can be found in the Appendix. The Knockout Stage will follow a BO3 single-elimination format, while the Semi Finals and Third Place Match will be played in BO5 series. The tournament will culminate in a BO7 Grand Finals to crown the champions of MWI.

The globalisation of MLBB Esports 

Under the "Two Champions, One Game" banner, MLBB returns to EWC for the third consecutive year as it continues to establish itself as one of the event's mainstay esports titles. According to Esports Charts, EWC 25 delivered record-breaking viewership across both MLBB tournaments. MSC emerged as the most-watched tournament in the event's history and the first to surpass 3 million Peak Concurrent Viewers (PCV). Meanwhile, MWI delivered its strongest performance to date, reaching 496,995 PCV. It also became the first women's tournament in history to surpass 100,000 Average Concurrent Viewers (ACV).

These milestones reflect the continued global growth of MLBB Esports—momentum that MOONTON Games is building on through its long-term international expansion strategy. At the M7 World Championship (M7) Grand Finals, the international video gaming company unveiled its 2026 MLBB Esports Roadmap, a five-region blueprint spanning Southeast Asia (SEA), Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA), Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), East Asia (EA), and the Americas (AMER). The roadmap is designed to strengthen regional ecosystems through tailored infrastructure and talent development pathways while further unifying the global MLBB Esports ecosystem. 

As part of this expansion, MLBB will also make history by hosting the M8 World Championship Finals in Türkiye, marking the first time its flagship tournament will be held in Europe.

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For more information about MLBB at EWC 26, check out the following official channels: