M5 Wildcard Stage: China’s Maiden Venture Into MLBB Esports

Updated: November 27

The M5 World Championship will make its mark in history, beginning with the all-new Wildcard event on November 23. Eight teams will compete with one ultimate goal in mind - to secure their spot in the main M5 World Championship event.

All eyes are on China as this will be their first foray into the world of professional Mobile Legends: Bang Bang tournaments, with KeepBest representing their home region. Interestingly, this is also fresh off the back of the announcement of Mobile Legends' recent licensing approval in the country. 

Please keep reading for all our information on the M5 Wild Card tournament, including the eight teams competing, their player rosters, and the full schedule. 

What is the M5 Wildcard? 

The M5 Wildcard Stage is technically a “prelude” to the excitement of the M5 World Championship, organized by creators Moonton.

Taking place two weeks before the main event on December 2, eight teams will battle it out in Malaysia for two coveted slots in the M5 Group Stage. These slots were available to the runners-up from various MPL leagues like LATAM, Malaysia, and MENA, as well as exciting talent from emerging regions like China and Mongolia. 

The M5 Wildcard format splits the eight teams into two groups of four. They will compete in a single round-robin format. The top two teams from each group compete against each other in the crossover matches, with the winning two teams advancing to the M5 World Championship. 

M5 Wildcard Teams

The teams competing in the Wildcard Stage hail from both MPL and non-MPL leagues, as this short competition decides which lucky two teams join the other 14 qualified teams in the main event, starting on December 2. 

Close attention will be paid to KeepBest Gaming as the first-ever China qualifier, who emerged as the top dog in their region's offline qualifier. The CN MLBB esports scene is just blossoming, but will they be able to hold their own against established regions like SEA or MENA?

Read on for all eight Wildcard teams and their player rosters.

• KeepBest Gaming (China Qualifier): Siyi, Simba, LMU, GodYang, Tides
• Team Lilgun (ENC Mongolia): Azin, Zxaura, Forbid, Bebex, Ethan
• Imperio (LIGA LATAM 2023 #3): Markinho, AURORAA, Feshin, Yur, Stephe
• Team SMG (MPL MY S12 #2): Smooth, Saxa, Stormie, Sasa, Mikko
• Umbrella Squad (MCC S2 #2): Castle, Mark, Troublemarker, black march, A F K
• 4Merical Esports (MCB Fall): Masarap, Lunatic Panda, Xerox, Yahiko, Clock
• Niightmare Esports (M Challenge Cup S2): Juviana, 2Ez4Lexxy, Sosoul, Khammy, J4ZBIN
• Team Falcons (MPL MENA Fall #2): Hulk, Lio, Goodnight, Lawtrick, Super

M5 Wildcard Schedule

The Wildcard teams are split into two groups, as seen below. 

All times listed will be in PHT and match winners will be in bold.

November 23 

• 2:00 PM: Team SMG vs. Nightmare
• 4:00 PM: KeepBest Gaming vs. Imperio 
• 6:00 PM: 4Merical vs. Team Falcons
• 8:00 PM: Umbrella Squad vs. Team Lilgun

November 24

• 2:00 PM: Imperio vs. Team Lilgun
• 4:00 PM: Team Falcons vs. Niightmare
• 6:00 PM: KeepBest Gaming vs. Umbrella Squad
• 8:00 PM: Team SMG vs. 4Merical

November 25 

• 2:00 PM: 4Merical vs. Nightmare
• 4:00 PM: Imperio vs. Umbrella Squad
• 6:00 PM: Team Falcons vs. Team SMG
• 8:00 PM: KeepBest Gaming vs. Team Lilgun

Follow the remainder of the M5 World Championship closely with Rivalry, as we will update both of these articles with all results. If you want to dip your toes in MLBB betting, check out our dedicated M World betting guide with our favorite teams, expert betting tips, and more! 

All M5 Wildcard and M5 World Championship games will be live-streamed on Mobile Legends official platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.