MPL Regular Season recap: Major leagues witness viewership drops

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We're approaching that time of the year when some of the most coveted world championships in the esports calendar are set to play out in front of millions of fans. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is one of the most popular titles gearing up for its top event, with its various regional leagues reaching their climax as we speak.

Three of the MOBA's most prominent circuits — Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines — have seen their Regular Seasons conclude. With a combined six slots up for grabs at the M7 World Championship, it will be interesting to see which sides emerge as the representatives for these three leagues.

MPL Indonesia Season 16 Regular Season viewership statistics

One of the most popular regional leagues, not only in MLBB but all of esports, has already witnessed a few shocks in the Regular Season. The 16th season of the Mobile Legends Professional League (MPL) in Indonesia reached a peak of 2.5 million Peak Viewers (PV) during the Week 9, Day 3 encounter between RRQ Hoshi and NAVI.

Unfortunately, RRQ Hoshi, which had been enjoying a renaissance of sorts recently, was one of the three sides to get knocked out during the first phase. Joining it as another shock name to be shown the exit door so early was Team Liquid ID, the reigning world championship runner-up.

Their short runs at the MPL Indonesia Season 16 are also a reaffirmation of the league's growing competitive nature. With Western investments increasing over the past few years, globally renowned esports organizations like Natus Vincere, Team Liquid, Team Vitality, and Fnatic have entered the top regional league in MLBB.

This has undoubtedly led to a rise in the competitive levels of the Indonesian MPL event. With NAVI and Bigetron by Vitality through to the Playoffs, it will be intriguing to see if one of these names can topple regional heavyweights like ONIC Esports and Alter Ego to emerge as the country's new MLBB champions.

Getting back to RRQ Hoshi, the side has been crucial to the MPL Indonesia reaching record numbers over the past few years. With its exit from the circuit and the M7 World Championship alongside another renowned name in Team Liquid ID, there is a big chance that both these competitions will fail to reach their viewership potential and fall short of setting new livestreaming milestones, as many had expected when the second half of the season resumed after the Esports World Cup 2025.

The Playoffs of the MPL Indonesia Season 16 will begin on October 29 and run until November 2. It will be held in the hybrid elimination format, with all the matches, except the best-of-seven Lower Bracket Final and Grand Final, set to be Bo5 affairs. Finally, the top two will qualify for the M7 World Championship.

MPL Philippines Season 16 Regular Season viewership statistics

The MPL Philippines Season 16 has mostly gone according to plan, except for one surprise exit. AP.Bren, the two-time world champion, finished rock bottom during the Regular Season, meaning the team will not be making the trip to Jakarta for the M7 World Championship. As a result, it will be the second straight time the esports organization will not be at the coveted competition since clinching its second world title in 2023.

The most popular match so far came during the Week 1, Day 2 clash between ONIC.PH and Team Liquid PH. These are two of this circuit's most consistent sides, and any game involving them drums up extra interest among audiences, which is reinforced by the fact that the second most popular series also involved these two teams.

In terms of livestreaming records, the MPL Philippines Season 16 has not shown any signs of a new milestone being reached. However, if the stars align to set up a Grand Finals between two of ONIC.PH, Aurora Gaming and Team Liquid PH, we could see the series record of 1.8 million PV come under pressure.

The MPL Philippines Season 16 Playoffs will kick off on October 22 and run until October 26. It will also follow the hybrid elimination format, with all the matches, except the best-of-seven Lower Bracket Final and Grand Final, set to be Bo5 affairs. The top two will seal their tickets to the M7 World Championship.

MPL Malaysia Season 16 Regular Season viewership statistics

The final viewership figures of this MLBB tournament will depend on the identity of the two finalists. Either Selangor Red Giants OG Esports or Homebois has to reach the finals, while the ideal scenario would involve the two clashing in the decider for any milestone numbers to be unlocked.

So far, the MPL Malaysia Season 16 has attained 336,587 PV during the Week 3, Day 4 match between Selangor Red Giants OG Esports and CG Esports. The former's reputation among audiences can be seen in the fact that it appears four times in the list of the five most popular games.

Selangor, with a best world championship finish of third at the M6 edition, remains Malaysia's best hopes of bringing something back from the mega event. Its qualification and subsequent displays at the M7 iteration will also be crucial to attracting healthy viewership from Malaysian audiences, who remain vital if the tournament is to continue the MLBB World Championship series' run of reaching at least 4 million PV.

The Playoffs for the MPL Malaysia Season 16 will be held between November 13 and 16 in the hybrid elimination format. All the matches, except the Lower Bracket Final and Grand Final, which are both best-of-seven, will be held as Bo5 affairs. The champion and runner-up will advance to the M7 World Championship.

The latest edition of the season finale will be held from January 1 to 31, 2026, with the finals set to be an offline affair involving spectators in Jakarta. It will also make Indonesia the third nation, after Singapore and Malaysia, to host the M World Championship Series twice.