MPL Malaysia Stops for the Asian Games on the Twenty-First and Two Teams Go On to Istanbul
Season 18 runs from 14 August to 18 October in Kuala Lumpur. Eight teams, every match a best of three.
MPL Malaysia Season 18 is in its second season under the partnership model. The regular season runs from 14 August to 18 October across eight weeks at the MPL MY Arena on level six of the Quill City Mall Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur, with the grand final staged on the CelcomDigi Dream Stage.
Eight partner teams play a double round robin, so everyone meets everyone twice, and every match is a best of three.
The playoffs use a hybrid bracket. Seeds three to six play a single elimination first round, and the top two seeds come in at a double elimination second round, which is worth a good deal to whoever finishes first and second.
The top two teams go to the M8 World Championship in Istanbul. There is a second route as well: the winner of the Malaysian academy league enters the MCT SEA knockout playoffs for a further place. MCT SEA arrives in the fourth quarter with a 50,000 dollar pool and twelve teams from eleven markets, Thailand hosting and taking two slots. Its top two go straight to the M8 main stage and the third and fourth placed teams go to the wild card in Bangkok.
The season also has a hole in it. Play breaks from 21 September to 4 October for the Asian Games, with week seven moved around Mobile Legends' tenth anniversary programming.
A prize pool for Season 18 has not been published. The figure quoted in places is the Season 17 number and does not carry over.