More than 1,200 fans showed up at MPL Malaysia's new home, Stadium MBSJ Serdang Jaya, for the opening match between HomeBois and Selangor Red Giants – making it the most-attended match to date for Malaysia's longest-running esports league.
The opening week welcomed more than 3,500 fans, the highest-ever in MPL Malaysia history.
Week 1 of the Regular Season sees Selangor Red Giants tops the table with 6 points, followed by King Empire Esports and Monster Vicious on 4 points apiece.
Selangor Red Giants player, Ilman "Gojes" Zulkifli, gesticulates on stage following the team's victory over defending champions, HomeBois, in the opening match of the MPL Malaysia Season 13 Regular Season
KUALA LUMPUR, 1 April – The Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) Malaysia proved in the opening week of Season 13 why the nation's longest-running esports league is also its most popular and competitive. Taking place last weekend from 29 to 31 March, Week 1 of the Season 13 Regular Season featured a roller coaster of results which saw defending champions, HomeBois, suffer a 0-2 defeat to title rivals Selangor Red Giants. After three days of closely-fought matches and drama, Selangor Red Giants end the week top the table with 6 points, followed by King Empire Esports and Monster Vicious with 4 points apiece.
New attendance high reflects MPL Malaysia's growth
The MPL Malaysia community continues to grow, with Season 13 setting new attendance records for the league. More than 1,200 fans showed up at the MPL Malaysia Arena at Stadium MBSJ Serdang Jaya for the opening match between HomeBois and Selangor Red Giants – a full house. The MPL Malaysia Arena also welcomed more than 3,500 fans during the opening week, the highest-ever in the league's history.
These figures are especially impressive, given that it took place during Ramadan, where Muslims – which comprise the majority of Malaysia's population – observe a strict fast from dawn until dusk.
Selangor Red Giants' perfect week, King Empire Strikes Back
The Red Giants achieved a perfect start to their Season 13 campaign after securing back-to-back victories in Week 1 of the Regular Season, first over defending champions, HomeBois, on Day 1, then over former champions, Team HAQ, on Day 3. The tournament dark horses swept both of their rivals aside in clean sets, with new Filipino Gold Laner, John "Innocent" Vincent Banal, earning plaudits and even securing the MVP of the Match against HomeBois. The player is proving a shrewd acquisition that could be the missing piece for Selangor Red Giants to clinch their first MPL Malaysia title.
Michael "Arcadia" Angelo Bocado, Coach of Selangor Red Giants, said: "We feel good – we're really excited to show what we're capable of this season because we're really confident that we can win it all. But we also know that we need to be realistic and take things one step at a time."
King Empire announced their arrival on the MPL Malaysia stage by securing two sets of 2-1 victories to take second spot after Week 1. Their come-from-behind wins, including over title favourites RSG Malaysia, have earned them the early-season label as one of the tournament dark horses.
Similarly, MPL Malaysia debutant Monster Vicious will be proud of their Week 1 performance, which earned them a third-placed spot due to having an inferior number of game wins despite having the same number of points as King Empire with 4 points apiece. The all-Malaysian team took a game off one of the tournament heavyweights, RSG Malaysia, on Day 2, and completed a clean sweep over fellow newcomers Barracuda Esports on Day 3.
Note: In Season 13, teams will receive one point for every game that they win, regardless of whether they win or lose a match. Teams with the same number of points will have their league positions determined based on their aggregate points, which is the nett difference between the number of games won minus the number of games lost. Should the aggregate points still be the same, the tied teams will be ranked based on their head-to-head records.
Fikri Rizal Mahruddin, Marketing & Business Development Lead at MOONTON Games, said: "The league is the most intense and competitive it's ever been, following the format changes we've introduced in Season 13. This season, only six teams will advance to the Playoffs, down from eight teams previously, while we've also adjusted the point system so that every win – regardless of the match results – will earn the team a point. With such high stakes, the teams know that they have no margin for error; this pressure serves to level up our esports talents so that they can better perform on the international stage as Malaysia's representatives."
No room for error as competition heats up in Week 2
Fans will be eagerly anticipating the mouthwatering clashes in Week 2 of the Regular Season. The opening match between NINERS and RSG Malaysia will pit two coaches with bad blood between them. NINERS' Muhammad "antagonisst" Firmansyah Pratama and RSG's Fikri "Rain" Aiman Bin Mohd Khidzir clashed on multiple ocassions last season when they were the analyst of HomeBois and assistant coach of RSG respectively. All eyes will be on how both navigate their first interaction this season in their new roles.
Seru Saturday will see Selangor Red Giants and TODAK face off in Week 2's headline match. The spotlight will be on Muhammad "YumS" Suhairi, who moved from TODAK to the Red Giants in the off season following TODAK's disappointing Season 12 campaign. The current captain of Selangor Red Giants' took a parting shot at TODAK, saying: "TODAK is nothing without me."
Week 2 of the MPL Malaysia Season 13 Regular Season will see Malaysia's top 10 Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) continue their battle to represent the nation at the MLBB Mid Season Cup, where a life-changing ~MYR 14 million (USD 3 million) prize pool awaits. They will also be competing for the lion's share of the ~MYR 468,000 (USD 100,000) prize pool in MPL Malaysia Season 13.
The full Week 2 schedule may be viewed below:
Stay up to speed with MPL Malaysia Season 13 updates and action with Hotlink. Hotlink's 5G network provides unmatched network latency with affordable plans in the spirit of making the internet more accessible to offer the best MLBB gaming experience. Fans should not miss out on the chance to win exclusive in-game items and merchandise by visiting the Hotlink booth at the stadium. This season also brings back strategic partners ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) and Nescafe.
Download the MPL Malaysia Season 13 media kit, which contains photos of the players, talents, and matches, as well as key information such as the match schedule and broadcast platforms: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1F9Cgl5H1Rd00FpKs5UK2usM3BLjf_aKR
To stay up to date on MPL Malaysia, please check out the Official Website and like/follow the league on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.
