SINGAPORE - The world's top Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) players will be back in Singapore for the second time this year, with the game's publisher Moonton Games announcing that the Dec 6-19 MLBB M3 World Championship will take place in the Republic.
Singapore had hosted 12 teams for the second edition of the competition, the US$300,000 (S$405,000) M2, which was won by Filipino team Bren Esports, in January.
M3 will feature 16 teams from around the globe, including teams from new regions such as the Middle East, North America, Latin America and Turkey, who will fight for a share of the US$800,000 prize pool. The event is supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
Two Singapore teams - RSG SG and Evos SG - have also earned a spot in the competition, with their top-two finish at the MLBB Professional League Singapore Season 2 in October.
The participating teams will be seeded into three pools, and further grouped into four different batches through a lottery to ensure that no teams from the same region will be in the same group.
The venue of the competition has not been announced yet.
Moonton Games added that all travelling players, staff and talent will serve a quarantine period as well as undergo daily temperature checks and antigen rapid tests throughout the event.
January's M2 was also held with strict Covid-19 measures in place and despite three players from Brazilian team DreamMax testing positive for Covid-19, the tournament went on smoothly behind closed doors with no other Covid-19 cases and the Brazil team competed while isolating in their hotel rooms.
"We are thrilled to have M3 at Singapore again this year," said Lucas Mao, Moonton Games' managing director of e-sports.
"The Singapore Tourism Board and local authorities have been working closely with us to produce a safe and hospitable event for all gamers.
"We are very much grateful for the continued partnership, and we look forward to reaching new e-sports heights with M3."
Jean Ng, STB's executive director for attractions, entertainment and tourism concept development, added: "We are excited to welcome the largest Mobile Legends: Bang Bang tournament back to Singapore this year.
"Moonton Games confidence in hosting the M3 World Championship in Singapore is testament to our ability to execute events safely and reinforces our position as a world-class e-ports destination."
