2026 is starting off hot as the most prestigious MLBB tournament in the world is back.
The year has just begun but M7 is already in full swing as the best MLBB teams get ready to fight to become the next world champion. Starting January 10, 16 teams will battle it out in Jakarta, Indonesia, for a chance to unseat the Philippines’ MLBB dominance and the lion’s share of 1,000,000 USD.
With the Wildcard tournament concluded, the 16 teams are now ready for the Swiss Stage. In this stage, teams will be paired up every round based on their overall match score. The teams that win three rounds will move on to the playoffs while those who lose three rounds will be eliminated.
All teams will be randomly paired together in the first round due to their 0-0 match score. Both rounds one and two of the Swiss Stage will be best-of-one matches but round three onwards will be best-of-threes. Once the 16 teams have been whittled down to six, it’s off to the Knockout Stage.
Playoffs will be played using the traditional double elimination bracket. Starting round one of the lower bracket, all matches will be best-of-fives until we hit the grand finals. Then it’s a best-of-seven to see which team will become the M7 world champion.
Will the Empire Continue?
Despite the previous world champions, ONIC PH, not making it to M7, the Philippines still reign supreme in the world of MLBB. Team Liquid and Aurora Gaming PH are looking to bring us our sixth world championship, but ONIC Indonesia and Malaysia’s Selangor Red Giants are aiming to put a stop to that.
Could this also be the year when Europe pulls ahead of the competition? Team Spirit and Aurora Gaming Turkey have massively impressed last season and have always been on the cusp of greatness. We’ll find out once the tournament kicks off on January 10.
You can catch the M7 World Championship live on their official Youtube and Facebook page.
Banner photo by Ramon Domingo.