M8 World Championship: SRG and Team Rey join Philippine qualifiers as MPL ID decides two more spots this week
Four of the 16 M8 Main Stage places are now filled by MPL qualifiers. MPL Indonesia's playoffs in Surabaya decide two more by Sunday 8 November.
Malaysia's line-up for the next Mobile Legends: Bang Bang world championship is complete. Selangor Red Giants and Team Rey booked their places at the M8 World Championship by reaching the MPL Malaysia Season 18 grand final, which SRG won 4-3 on Sunday. They join Aurora Gaming PH and Team Falcons PH from the Philippines, and the next two places will be decided at the MPL Indonesia playoffs this week.
How the 16 Main Stage places are shared
M8 will be held in Istanbul, Türkiye, in January 2027, the first time the M-series world championship has gone to Europe. According to esports.gg's breakdown of Moonton's slot allocation, the Main Stage has 16 teams:
- MPL Indonesia: 2
- MPL Philippines: 2
- MPL Malaysia: 2
- MLBB Championship Tour (MCT) Southeast Asia: 2
- EMEA: 2
- EECA: 1
- MCT East Asia: 1
- MCT Americas: 1
- Wild Card winners: 3
A record 10 teams will play the Wild Card stage in Bangkok for the last three places.
Who is already in
Malaysia: Selangor Red Giants (MPL MY S18 champions) and Team Rey (runners-up). SRG beat Team Rey 4-3 at Stadium Juara on 1 November for a sixth straight league title. Team Rey had earned their place by beating Team Vamos 4-2 in the lower-bracket final.
Philippines: Aurora Gaming PH and Team Falcons PH. Aurora beat Falcons 4-2 in the MPL PH Season 18 grand final at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City to win their first MPL Philippines title, with Jan "Domeng" Del Mundo named Finals MVP. Aurora are also the defending world champions after winning M7 in January 2026.
Elsewhere in South-East Asia, MPL Singapore Season 12 champions TEAM EVIL and MSL Myanmar winners Falcon Esports will play at MCT Southeast Asia in Bangkok, where more M8 places are on offer.
MPL Indonesia this week: two tickets at stake
The MPL ID Season 18 playoffs start on Wednesday 4 November in Surabaya, and both grand finalists qualify for M8. NAVI and Team Liquid ID both finished the regular season 12-4 and skip the first round.
- Round 1: Alter Ego vs ONIC (14:00 Malaysia time); Bigetron by Vitality vs EVOS (19:00 Malaysia time)
- Round 2: NAVI and Team Liquid ID enter
- Lower-bracket final: Saturday 7 November
- Grand final (best-of-seven): Sunday 8 November
Indonesia's western time zone is one hour behind Malaysia, so evening matches in Surabaya fit Malaysian prime time.
Key M8 dates
Moonton has scheduled the M8 knockout stage for 14-19 January 2027 at the ESA Espor Arena in Istanbul, with the grand finals at Ora Arena. The prize pool is US$1 million. Early-bird tickets for the knockout stage are on sale until 21 November through Biletix.
Key takeaways
- SRG and Team Rey have qualified for M8 as the two MPL MY Season 18 finalists.
- Aurora Gaming PH and Team Falcons PH have qualified from MPL Philippines.
- MPL Indonesia's playoffs in Surabaya (4-8 November) decide two more M8 places.
- M8 has 16 Main Stage teams and a US$1 million prize pool, with the knockout stage from 14 to 19 January 2027.
FAQ
Which Malaysian teams have qualified for M8? Selangor Red Giants and Team Rey, the two finalists of MPL Malaysia Season 18.
Where and when is M8? M8 is in Istanbul, Türkiye, in January 2027, with a Wild Card stage in Bangkok. The knockout stage runs from 14 to 19 January.
How many teams play at M8? Sixteen teams play in the Main Stage, three of them coming through a 10-team Wild Card stage.
Sources: Moonton, esports.gg, Bernama, Hotspawn, esports.net