The 2021 Mobile Legends: Bang Bang World Championship, commonly known as M3 or the M3 World Championship, was the third edition of the Mobile Legends World Championships, an esports tournament for the game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. It was held from 6 December until its Grand Finals on 19 December 2021 in Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre in Singapore. Background M3 is the third series of the Mobile Legends World Championship and is held in the same year as the second series was held in the same nation. M3 features 16 teams with each qualifying for their regional or national qualifiers known as the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League or MPL. These teams were all announced on the same day with their roster on 25 November 2021. M3 features 11 Asian Teams, 1 North American Team, 1 Arabian-Region Team and 3 Latin American Teams.
Coronavirus The COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore posed a significant challenge for the organizers of the World Championships as the venue in Singapore provided strict health regulations provided by the Government of Singapore as well as the players travelling from abroad. However, on 8 August 2021, Moonton, the developer of the game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang announced and confirmed that M3 will be happening by the end of 2021.
Venue +SingaporeSuntec City, Singapore
Qualified teams and rosters
Qualified teams Qualifying for the M3 World Championships comes from the competing nation's Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League, commonly known as "MPL". However, regional qualifiers in the CIS Region, North America, Arabia, and Latin American regions were also held to broaden the reach of the Championship's teams.
The defending World Champions in Bren Esports would not be redeemed to repeat back-to-back championship titles due to them having a non-playoff contention in MPL Philippines Season 8 that was ultimately won by Blacklist International in 5 games.
+QualifiersRegionLeagueQualification methodTeam nameIDGroupPhilippinesMPL PhilippinesMPL Philippines Season 8 Champions Blacklist InternationalBLCKAMPL Philippines Season 8 Runner-up ONIC PhilippinesONIC-PHBIndonesiaMPL IndonesiaMPL Indonesia Season 8 Champions ONIC EsportsONICBMPL Indonesia Season 8 Runner-up RRQ HoshiRRQDMalaysiaMPL MalaysiaMPL Malaysia Season 8 Champions Team SMGSMGDMPL Malaysia Season 8 Runner-up TodakTDKBSingaporeMPL SingaporeMPL Singapore Season 2 Champions EVOS SGEVOSCMPL Singapore Season 2 Runner-up RSG SGRSGDBrazilMPL BrazilMPL Brazil Season 1 Champions Red CanidsREDAMPL Brazil Season 1 Runner-up Keyd StarsVKBCambodiaMPL CambodiaMPL Cambodia Season 1 Champions SeeYouSoonSYSCUkraineMythic LeagueMML Season 2 Qualifiers Natus VincereNAVICMiddle EastM3 Arabia MajorArabia Major Qualifiers GX SquadGXDTurkeyTurkish QualifiersTurkish Qualifying Team BedelBDLALatin AmericaLATAM ChampionshipLATAM Qualifiers Malvinas GamingMVGANorth AmericaNorth American QualifierNorth American Qualifying Team BloodThirstyKingsBTKC
Rosters Player did not play games +Official Rosters of all Qualified TeamsTeamPlayersCoach/ManagerJungleExp LaneGold LaneMidlanerRoamer Blacklist InternationalWise (Danerie James Del Rosario)Edward (Edward Jay Dapadap)Oheb (Kiel Calvin Soriano)Dex Star (Dexter Louise Alaba)Eson (Mark Jayson Gerardo)OhMyV33Nus (Johnmar Villaluna)Hadji (Salic A. Imam)Bon Chan (Kristoffer Ed L. Ricaplaza) ONIC PhilippinesKairi (Kairi Rayodelsol)Dlarskie (Gerald Trinchera)Ryota (Nowee Cabailo)Hatred (Jaylord Gonzales)Markyyyy (Mark Christian Etcobanez)Baloyskie (Aloy Jedric Baloy)Micophobia (Karl Mico Tarala)Beemo (Paul Ian Sergio)Yeb (Paul Denver Lintag Miranda) ONIC EsportsSanz (Gilang)Butsss (Muhammad Satrya Sanubari)CW (Calvin Winata)Drian (Adriand Larsen Wong)Maipan (Irvan Yusuf)Kiboy (Nicky Fernando)Somber (Chen Po-Heng) RRQ HoshiAlberttt (Albert Neilsen Iskandar)R7 (Rivaldi Fatah)Xinnn (Yesaya Omega Armando Wowiling)Skylar (Schevenko David Tendean)Vynnn (Calvin)Clayyy (Deden Muhammad Nurhasan)Psychooo (Teguh Imam Firdaus)Liam (William Setiawan)Acil (Adi Syofian Asyauri) Team SMG Wynn (Muhammad Fahmi Ikhwan)Smooth (Aileff Adam)Myzer (Muhammad Hakim Mikha)Loong (Saw Kee Loong)Sasa (Lu Khai Bean)Zaim Sempoi (Muhammad Zaim)XpDEA (Mohamad Harith Aiman)Jamesss (James “Jamesss” Chen) Todak CikuGais (Muhammad Danial)Ajiq (Muhammad Amirul Raziq)Momo (Idreen Bin Abdul Jamal)4Meyz (Wan Usman)Moon (Zikry Bin Shamsuddin)Yums (Abd Qayyum)Moyy (Mohamad Farhan Wakiman)Ashi (Mohd Syazlan) EVOS SG .Potato (Andrew Lim)Gear (Tristan Christopher Nathanael)Smokey (Roy Chua)Adammir (Adam Chong)Seilah (Basil Lim Dao Ze)JPL (Akihiro Furusawa)Young in (Daryl Ng Jun Da) RSG SG ly4ly4ly4 (Lim Yang)DecDiablo (Yeo Wee Lun)Babycakes (Jovan Ong)Jason (Koh Wei Hao Jason)Sana (Ming Brandon)505Lolsie (Bellamy Yeov)Kayzeepi (Eugene Kong Zhen Pang) Red CanidsJump Style (Abraão Santos)Akashi (Nicolas Sanches Vieira)Upa (Lucas Jose)Frostt (Matheus Santos)xManiac (Arthur Martins Nazario)Lunna (Victor Monteiro)Darkness (Diego Wellington Costa Casado) Keyd StarsKiing (Lucas Felipe Godoy)Tekashi (Arthur Nascimento)Luiizz (Luiz Henrique Alves)Prime (André Martini)Mayke (Mayke Santana)Cabral (Godman Cabral) SeeYouSoonHoux (Lim Kimhouv)Felix (Leng Kimhak)Runn (Mon Phearun)Paragon (Sam Sophanny)Ember (Sengin Bunchhay) Natus VincereSunset Lover (Kemiran Kochkarov)Defender (Andriy Martynenko)Lil (Ruslan Degtev)Nangib (Maxim Dudich)Sawo (Stanislav Reshinak)WarBarbie (Alexandr Korystin) GX SquadAmuniDar007FuujiYatoDanteeHisk BedelFarwayYunshiAlienParanoidFarwayAsmo Malvinas GamingQuinnXingEidrianHarleStephe BloodThirstyKingsMobaZane (Michael Cosgun)FwydChicknVictorZiaShark
Group Draw The Group Draw was held on 6 November 2021, exactly one month before the tournament began, the sixteen teams that qualified for the global tournament were grouped into 4 groups of 4 teams each. +Draw on 6 November 2021Group AGroup BGroup CGroup D Blacklist International ONIC Esports EVOS SG RRQ Hoshi Red Canids ONIC Philippines SeeYouSoon RSG SG Malvinas Gaming Todak BloodThirstyKings Team SMG Bedel Keyd Stars Natus Vincere GX Squad
Format Group Stage: 6 to 9 December 2021 16 teams qualified for the event are split into four groups of 4 teams each. All matches in the group stage are played in a series. The top two teams per group qualified for the Upper Bracket Playoffs The bottom two teams per group qualified for the Lower Bracket Playoffs Playoffs: 11 to 19 December 2021 Sixteen teams play in a double-elimination tournament. Eight teams begin in the Upper Bracket, and eight teams begin in the Lower Bracket. Lower Bracket Rounds 1 and 2 are a series, the rest of the playoffs were a series, except for the Grand Final, which was a series.
Group Stage Source:
The Group Stages commenced on 6 December and concluded on 9 December 2021. All games in the group stage were in a format. There were no teams eliminated at the end of group stages, but the upper two teams in each group qualified for the Upper Bracket playoffs, while the lower two qualified for the Lower Bracket Playoffs.
Group A
Tiebreaker As there was a three-way tie in Group A, Bedel was placed in the Tiebreaker final as they had the fastest time in games won. Thus, Red Canids and Malvinas Gaming played in the Tiebreaker semifinals which loser of that match qualified for the lower bracket.
Group B
Group C
Group D
+Group Matches (Bo1)Group A MatchesGroup B MatchesGroup C MatchesGroup D MatchesMatch No.TeamResultsTeamMatch No.TeamResultsTeamMatch No.TeamResultsTeamMatch No.TeamResultsTeam1Blacklist International 10 Red Canids1ONIC Esports 10ONIC Philippines1EVOS SG 10SeeYouSoon 1RRQ Hoshi10Team SMG 2Malvinas Gaming 01Bedel 2Todak 10KEYD Stars 2NATUS Vincere 01BTK 2GX Squad 01RSG SG 3Blacklist International10Bedel 3ONIC Esports 01Keyd Stars 3EVOS SG 10BTK 3Team SMG 01RSG SG 4 Red Canids01Malvinas Gaming 4ONIC Philippines10TODAK 4SeeYouSoon 01Natus Vincere 4RRQ Hoshi10GX Squad 5Blacklist International10Malvinas Gaming 5ONIC Esports 01Todak 5EVOS SG 10Natus Vincere 5Team SMG 10GX Squad 6 Red Canids10Bedel 6ONIC Philippines10KEYD Stars 6SeeYouSoon 01BloodThirstyKings 6RRQ Hoshi10RSG SG
Playoffs The first two rounds of the Lower Bracket are a Best-of-three series, and the rest of the playoffs are a Best-of-five series, except the Grand Final which was a best-of-7 series.
Bracket
Lower Bracket The lower bracket showed an elimination round of teams during the third day of the Playoffs.
+Day No. 3 (Bo3) Match No.TeamResultTeamOutcome1 Team SMG02 ONIC EsportsONIC Esports advances; Team SMG eliminated.2 Keyd Stars20 GX SquadKeyd Stars advances; GX Squad eliminated.3 Natus Vincere21 Malvinas GamingNatus Vincere advances; Malvinas Gaming eliminated.4 Red Canids02 SeeYouSoonSeeYouSoon advances; Red Canids eliminated. +Day No. 4 (Bo3) Match No.TeamResultTeamOutcome1 Blacklist International21 ONIC EsportsBlacklist International advances; ONIC Esports eliminated.2 Bedel02 KEYD StarsKeyd Stars advances; Bedel eliminated.3 RSG SG02 Natus VincereNatus Vincere advances; RSG SG eliminated.4 TODAK21 SeeYouSoonTODAK advances; SeeYouSoon eliminated. +Day No. 5 (Bo5) Match No.TeamResultTeamOutcome1 Blacklist International30 Keyd StarsBlacklist International advances; Keyd Stars eliminated.2 ONIC Philippines30 RRQ HoshiONIC Philippines advances; RRQ Hoshi goes to the Lower-Bracket. +Day No. 6 (Bo5) Match No.TeamResultTeamOutcome1 BloodThirstyKings31 EVOSBloodThirstyKings advances; EVOS SG goes to the Lower-Bracket.2 Natus Vincere23 TodakTodak advances; Natus Vincere eliminated. +Day No. 5 (Bo5) Match No.TeamResultTeamOutcome1 Blacklist International30 Keyd StarsBlacklist International advances; Keyd Stars eliminated.2 ONIC Philippines30 RRQ HoshiONIC Philippines advances; RRQ Hoshi goes to the Lower-Bracket. +Day No. 7 (Bo5) Match No.TeamResultTeamOutcome1 Blacklist International30 RRQ HoshiBlacklist International advances; RRQ Hoshi eliminated.2 Todak23 EVOSEVOS SG advances; Todak eliminated. +Day No. 8 (Bo5) Match No.TeamResultTeamOutcome1 ONIC Philippines30 BloodThirstyKingsONIC Philippines advances to the Grand Finals; BloodthirstyKings goes to the Lower-Bracket.2 EVOS03 Blacklist InternationalBlacklist International advances; EVOS SG eliminated.3 BloodThirstyKings13 Blacklist InternationalBlacklist International advances to the Grand Finals; BloodThirstyKings eliminated. With the win of Blacklist International against BloodThirstyKings, they advanced to the Grand Finals, making M3 the first World Tournament to be contested by the two Philippine representatives of MPL Philippines Season 8 and making the Philippines the first and, so far, only nation to win Back-to-Back World Titles for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. The Other team would be Bren Esports who won the M2 World Title in the same year.
Grand Finals With ONIC Philippines and Blacklist International in the Grand Finals, it would be the second rematch between both teams after both teams were the eventual runner-up and Champions of MPL Philippines Season 8. The Grand Finals was held on 19 December 2021.
Game 1 19 December 2021 21:04 Match Time ONIC Philippines 14,18, Blacklist International Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre, SingaporeMost Kills (by its KDA)Hatred, 6/2/2Wise, 8/3/5Most Assists (by its KDA)Markyyyy, 3/2/9OhMyV33Nus, 0/2/15Game MVPOheb, 5/5/10Blacklist International leads, 1-0 Game 1 of M3 began with the introduction of the players and rosters of both teams. Blacklist International with their Championship Lineup and the "Death Lineup" called by ONIC Philippines that led them to a 9-0 contest in the Upper Bracket.
With an early lead in the early stages of the game, ONIC Philippines was destined to win the matchup after the first turtle take was immediately stolen by Kairi, however, with the amazing defense that Blacklist International brought, they would lead the series 1–0 against ONIC with Marksman Oheb with the Clint as the MVP.
Reference: