Malaysia Esports Championship 2021/2022 returns for the second season

2021 will be another historic year in esports for Malaysia, as the annual Malaysia Esports Championship (MEC) is set to return for its second edition in December 2021. Esports Integrated (ESI), under the purview of the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS), has been at the forefront of the Malaysian esports community and is leading the charge in driving the nation’s gaming culture forward.

Following the successful launch of the first MEC 2020/2021 which had over 11,000 registrants, the tournament is one of the first milestones under KBS’s Strategic Plan for Esports Development 2020 – 2025 that was aimed to promote and cultivate a sustainable esports community in Malaysia while creating opportunities for the youth to explore esports as a viable career.

“Seeing how well MEC 20/21 and MEL21 have benefited the esports ecosystem, KBS believes in continuing the efforts to provide platforms for Malaysian esports players to flourish. From professionals to amateurs, inclusivity is crucial to ensure a sustainable local talents development plan.” said YB Dato’ Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu.

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For this year’s edition, MEC 2021/2022 qualifiers will kick-off in December 2021. The tournament will feature the return of four popular game titles in the championship, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, PUBG Mobile, DOTA 2 and FIFA 22 that will be across categories such as mobile, PC and console. Furthermore, the top 4 teams that battled it out in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Mobile (PUBG Mobile), Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), EA Sports FIFA 22, and DOTA 2, during the Malaysia Esports League 2021 (MEL21) which took place on August 14 until September 1, 2021 will be progressing to MEC 2021/2022 quarter finals. In addition, through our collaboration with Moonton, the top 2 teams from Mobile Legends: Bang Bang would earn a seat slot into MPL Season 9 Top 8 Qualifiers.

ESI hopes to see the national esports teams grow and hope that this annual tournament is a stepping stone for the local industry to do just that. Participants of the MEC 2021/2022 will stand a chance to win from a prize pool of RM100,000 in cash when they battle it out in multiple game titles featured in the championship. Players and teams will compete in elimination-style bracketed tournament rounds during the tournament, the Qualifiers and PlayOffs. The Grand Finals will take place in a physical event from January 7, 2022 for FIFA 22, DOTA 2, January 8, 2022 for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and January 9, 2022 for PUBG Mobile respectively. Venue of the Grand Finals will be announced closer to the date with a limited audience.

“MEC is shaping up to be one of Malaysia’s esports industry yearly highlights. We are seeing rising talents and new opportunities within the community and we are glad to have KBS and our partners who share our passion for providing opportunity and accessibility to the local gaming scene. Together we are confident that ESI is on the right path to provide homegrown talents in the nation with the support they need in the esports industry on a national and international level, ensuring the growth of esports throughout Malaysia,” said Fadzli Rahim, Vice President of Operations & Growth, ESI.