Cambodia’s growing army of e-gamers are in for a treat as The Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Cambodia (MPL-KH) makes a return for the 2023 MPL-KH Spring Split, with eight teams competing to take home $40,000.

The tournament kicks off on March 4, with the Khmer squads comprising M4 World Championship contender Burn X Flash, Impunity KH, See You Soon, Logic Esports, Team Max, CFU Gaming, and new teams Pro Esports Cambodia and ZD Gaming.

"An exciting season is ahead for our Cambodian fans. This season, expect that these outstanding teams will fight for the kingdom and exhibit the true competitive Cambodian spirit. We hope our fans support their favourite teams," said Ray Ng, Esports Ecosystem Lead at MOONTON Games.

This year will see a new format introduced to the tournament to further elevate the level of competition.

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The Spring Split regular season will run for four weeks from March 4 to 27, with four matches on Saturdays and three matches on Sundays.

The playoffs will then take place from April 7 to 9, with a new elimination format from single to double. A total of six teams will qualify to take part in the Grand Finals from April 22 to 23.

The Battle to Defend the Kingdom

New kings will enter Cambodia's largest MLBB esports competition and are expected to showcase a higher level of unpredictability of the outcome, with changes in the rosters.

Burn X Flash and ZD Gaming are slated to headline the first day of the regular season through a best-of-two match series.

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The 2022 Autumn Split champs will have to defend their throne without Coach John Michael "Zico" Dizon. Filipino player Mariusz "Donut" Tan remains in the team, alongside key players Kosai "ATM" Piseth, Sour "Celichma" Mara, Sok "C Cat" Roth, Vithou "Fury" Sovisal, and Ty "D7" Oudom.

Coach Zico is now expected to bring his competitive mentality to Pro E-sports. The team has recruited strong players from various outstanding Cambodian, Malaysian, and Indonesian squads.

Team Max has welcomed two new additions from the Philippines, and Impunity KH has recruited Filipino player Jaylord "Hate" Gonzales, who came from Malaysian squad SGM.

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is the most popular mobile Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game worldwide that brings communities together through teamwork and strategy. With more than 100 million active monthly users, the award-winning game is among the top 10 most played in over 80 countries.

According to a 2021 survey by Standard Insights, the gaming and esports industry in Cambodia is booming, with an estimated two million players nationwide. The report said, “Cambodian players are increasing with heavy internet penetration and mobile diffusion, as well as the spread of cyber coffees across the country.”

A total of 35.6 percent of respondents said they spend more than 15 hours a week playing video games, with 90.9 percent considering esports gaming a real sport. It has been included in the SEA Games, to be hosted by Cambodia from May 5 to 17.

For more information, visit https://kh.mpl.mobilelegends.com/en

(marissa.carruthers@kiripost.com)