MLBB Expands M8 Race to Istanbul With Championship Tour Pathway
The road to the M8 World Championship just got wider.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang will feature a record 10-team Wild Card stage for the M8 World Championship, with three teams earning a ticket to the 16-team Main Stage.
MOONTON Games officially announced the M8 slot allocation as MLBB continues to expand its global competitive scene following its third consecutive appearance as the most-watched esports title at the Esports World Cup (EWC).
The expanded Wild Card is a significant jump from the M7 World Championship, which featured eight teams fighting for two spots in the main event.
A New Route Opens Up
The M8 will also introduce a new route to the M-Series through the MLBB Championship Tour (MCT).
Introduced this year, the MCT will give teams from emerging regions another opportunity to make their way to the biggest stage in MLBB esports.
The changes are part of MLBB’s new five-region structure covering Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, East Asia, and the Americas.
The M8 Wild Card will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, before the competition moves to Istanbul, Türkiye, for the Main Stage and Finals next January, marking the European debut of the M-Series.
MLBB Breaks New Ground
The expanded qualification system comes after a historic 2026 for MLBB esports.
At the EWC in Paris, MLBB recorded a peak concurrent viewership of 2.89 million, making it the most-watched esports title of the event for the third consecutive edition, according to Esports Charts.
The Mid Season Cup also produced a breakthrough as Team Spirit became the first team from outside Southeast Asia to win an international MLBB major title.
Representing Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA), Team Spirit outclassed Myanmar’s Yangon Galacticos, 4-3, in the MSC Grand Finals.
The M8 will continue that push toward a more global MLBB ecosystem, with more regions and teams now having a chance to reach the world stage.
From Paris to Istanbul, MLBB’s international footprint continues to grow as the M-Series prepares for its European debut next January.
