Considered one of the premier regions in the esports industry, China has steadily gained a substantial following outside its borders due to its dominance in nearly every major international title. With the recent announcement of China’s participation in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang competition, fans are now eagerly anticipating their debut in the M5, scheduled to commence this December.
Several months ago, Moonton received permission to release MLBB in China, rebranded as ‘Pinnacle of the Decisive Victory’, and plans to release it soon for the Chinese public. Not long after, rumors circulated that they were planning to work on the professional scene in that country with a system similar to the MLBB Pro League in Southeast Asia.
Those reports were eventually validated by users and professionals who stated that numerous major organizations were looking for sparring partners as a preparation for the M5 Wildcard: China Qualifier in November.
The MLBB community reacted positively to the news, especially with Nova Esports on the list of participants. Most believe they can become a dark horse in the M5 competition, potentially overtaking the large teams from the Philippines and Indonesia. Frederick “Mirko” Loho, though, is skeptical about the Chinese team’s prospects in the tournament.
In his recent video, the international MLBB caster recently stated that he is looking forward to the Chinese region’s debut in the forthcoming M5 Wildcard competition in Malaysia, but is unsure if they will be able to compete against veterans with little preparation time and a lack of competition compared to other regions.
“Honestly, I can’t wait to see what Wildcard has in store for us with China joining in. But they have a month to prepare from this point,” said Mirko. “I don’t know if they can adapt that fast and perform that well in their first international championship. If they surprise us, god d*mn! But if they don’t, I think it’s quite normal. They’ll go up against teams who’ve been in here for years.”
He also observed that players competing in the China Qualifier mostly switched from MOBA games outside MLBB, therefore it will likely be difficult for them to adjust their strategies to fit the current meta. He advised fans to temper their expectations and wait until the tournament began to see how they fared.
“This are gonna be new players by the way. They don’t have MLBB before this so most of their players will be players from other MOBA that are stepping into the MLBB world for these teams (Nova, KeepBest Gaming, LongLong Gaming and Mi Ya Gaming). So keep your expectations low.”
The China Qualifier will take place in November of this year. The winner will go on to the M5 Wildcard in Malaysia on November 23, 2023
