본문 : ESPORTS CHARTS - Dmytro Murko

Each new M World Championship tournament is a major event, not just for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, but for mobile esports as a whole. Every year, millions of fans tune in to watch the matches, and the upcoming M6 World Championship is set to break records for viewership.

Ahead of the event, the organizers have introduced a new group stage format using the Swiss system. This means top teams could face each other mid-tournament, rather than just in the final matches. Another exciting twist is that M6 will crown a new champion, as none of the previous winners qualified for this year’s tournament.

Esports Charts has predicted how these changes to the format might impact viewership numbers and what kind of peak online audience we can expect for the broadcasts.

How will the new group stage format affect the statistics of the tournament?

The previous M World Championship tournaments used the GSL Style Group format, where teams competed in separate groups. However, for the upcoming M6 World Championship, the group stage will be replaced by the Swiss Stage — meaning all teams will be in one large group, and they could potentially face any opponent at any time.

The opening matches in the Swiss Stage will be played in a best-of-1 format, while matches that determine playoff spots or eliminate teams will be best-of-3. Organizers of the M6 World Championship have emphasized that, under this new format, teams from the same region won’t be kept apart and could face each other at any point. This means that top teams could be eliminated during the group stage, creating matchups with great potential for record-breaking viewership during this phase.

When it comes to Watch Time for a particular tournament or stage, there are two key factors: Airtime and Average Viewers. According to Esports Charts analysts, the format change shouldn’t significantly impact the total airtime in the group stage, with the expected difference in Airtime compared to M5’s group stage being around 1%.

Viewer interest in the new Swiss Stage format (measured by Average Viewers) is expected to rise, especially if top teams compete in best-of-3 elimination matches or matches to secure a spot in the playoffs. In such scenarios, the highest viewership (HW) in the Swiss Stage is likely to surpass the Group Stage viewership from the previous World Championship.

Will there be a new Mobile Legends record for Peak Viewership?

The M World Championship tournaments have shown consistent growth in peak viewership, with the most recent M5 setting a record for the title with over 5 million viewers at its peak. In fact, over the past few years, the peak viewership for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang World Championships has never dropped below 3 million Peak Viewers. Even the EWC X MLBB Mid Season Cup 2024 reached 2.3 million PV, despite being held in a time zone that wasn’t ideal for the key Southeast Asian audience.

Esports Charts analysts predict that there’s no scenario where the M6 World Championship will have fewer than 2.5 million Peak Viewers. On the flip side, there’s a strong chance that the upcoming tournament will break another viewership record. M6 is almost certain to surpass 5.15 million Peak Viewers, especially if the grand final features teams from Indonesia and the Philippines, particularly RRQ Hoshi. From a viewership perspective, RRQ Hoshi's best opponents would be Team Liquid or Fnatic ONIC PH. However, there are also solid chances for a viewership record if teams like Aurora Gaming, Selangor Red Giants, or Team Vamos perform well.

The M6 World Championship will take place from November 21 to December 12 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The prize pool for the tournament is set at one million dollars. You can track the results and viewership stats for the event on the coverage page.