January 08, 2026

Path to M7: Breaking down every team's road to the World Championship

Path to M7: Breaking down every team
Team Liquid and Aurora Gaming PH gear up for the M7 World Championship, representing the Philippines against a stacked international field. | Art by Mitzi Solano/One Sports

The M7 World Championship brings together the world’s best Mobile Legends: Bang Bang teams through a qualification system built on regional league success and a do-or-die Wild Card Stage. 

Here’s how each team earned its place on the global stage.


Philippines (MPL PH Season 16)

Team Liquid – Arguably the favorites in the tournament, Team Liquid, led by Gold Laner "Oheb", enters the tournament as the MPL PH Season 16 champions.

Aurora Gaming PH – Ready to vie for the crown are "Yue" and the rest of Aurora Gaming PH, which qualified as the runner-up of MPL PH.


Indonesia (MPL ID Season 16)

ONIC Esports – Led by Filipino jungler “Kairi”, ONIC qualified as MPL ID Season 16 champions.

[ALSO READ: What if ONIC Indonesia’s Kairi stayed and played in the SEA Games?]

Alter Ego – Qualified as runner-up.


Malaysia (MPL MY Season 16)

Selangor Red Giants – Champion of MPL Malaysia Season 16. Two Filipino players are in the lineup, namely Gold Laner “Innocent” and EXP Laner “Kramm”.

CG Esports – Runner-up of the Malaysian league.


Singapore (MPL SG Season 10)

Evil – Qualified by winning the Singapore MPL league. Filipino Gold Laner “Venn” will lead the lone Singaporean squad.


Cambodia (MPL KH Season 9)

CFU Gaming – Earned qualification as the Cambodia league winner, representing SEA emerging regions. 


MENA (Mobile Legends MPL MENA Season 8)

Team Falcons – Qualified as the champions of the Middle East & North Africa league. Filipino Jungler “Boyet” is part of the squad.


Myanmar (MSL MM Season 2)

Yangon Galacticos – Claimed the Myanmar regional title to lock in their Worlds spot. 


EECA (MCC Season 6)

Team Spirit – Qualified as champions of the Eastern Europe & Central Asia circuit. 


China (China Masters 2025)

DianFengYaoGuai – Took the Chinese Masters title and a main-event qualification spot. 


Latin America (MPL LATAM Season 4)

Black Sentence Esports – Qualified as the top team from Latin America’s league.


Wild Card Stage: The Final Gateway

Before the knockout matches, teams first battled through a two-group Wild Card Stage, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the Wild Card Finals.

Wildcard Group A

Team Zone finished top of the group with a dominant 3–0 match record, dropping just one game across three series (6–1).

Boostgate Esports followed closely at 2–1, showing consistency and composure to secure a finals berth. Leon Esports and ZETA DIVISION were eliminated after struggling to keep pace with the group’s top two.


Wildcard Group B

Virtus.pro stormed through the group stage undefeated, sweeping all three series without dropping a single game (6–0).

Guangzhou Gaming claimed second place at 2–1, earning their spot in the finals, while Axe and RLG SE exited early after winless campaigns.


What’s Next: Swiss Stage

With Team Zone, Boostgate Esports, and Virtus.pro completing the field, the 16-team Swiss Stage of the M7 World Championship is now set.

Beginning on January 10, teams will compete in a five-round Swiss format, with three wins securing a spot in the Knockout Stage and three losses resulting in elimination, all for a share of the USD 1 million prize pool, as the tournament officially shifts into full title-chasing mode.

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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.

Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.

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