MSC 2021

2021 Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Southeast Asia Cup
2021
Tournament information
SportMobile Legends: Bang Bang
Date
  • Group Stage
  • June 7–8, 2021
  • Playoffs
  • June 11-13-2021
AdministratorMoonton
Tournament
format(s)
Venue(s)None
Participants
Final positions
ChampionsPhilippines Execration (1st title)
1st runner-upPhilippines Blacklist International
2nd runner-upIndonesia EVOS Legends
Tournament statistics
MVPKelra (Philippines Execration)
Highest KDASyno (Malaysia RSG MY)
Highest KillsKelra (Philippines Execration)
Highest AssistsCh4knu (Philippines Execration)
← 2019
2022 →

The 2021 Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Southeast Asia Cup or commonly known as MSC 2021, was the fourth annual regional Southeast Asian Tournament for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, MSC 2021 was held virtually via an online livestream that was streamed and viewed by millions in the region.[citation needed] With a total prize pool of $150,000 after Moonton's announcement of a prize pool increase, the games were held from 7–13 June 2021. The Philippine team of Execration won the Tournament against another Philippine team in Blacklist International with Kelra as the winning MVP.[1] This is the second title that the Philippines have won after Aether Main won the MSC Cup in 2018.

Background

Previous MSC tournaments were held in Face-to-face and public viewing on public venues in 2017, 2018 and 2019. However, with the Pandemic circulating worldwide, this is the first tournament to be featured online via livestream. Then-current SEA Cup Champions ONIC Esports were the longest champions in MSC History after the 2020 MSC Tournament was cancelled on May 11 by Moonton because of the pandemic.[citation needed] MSC 2021 would push through to continue with the prize pool being increased from $120,000 to $150,000.

Format

Twelve teams across Southeast Asia were qualified for the tournament. The MPL regions in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines had their respective Champion and Runner-ups represent their regions, while the non-MPL teams in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam were directly invited.[2][3]

  • Teams are grouped into four groups of three teams each.
  • Group Stage: (June 7–9th, 2021)
    • Teams play in a single round-robin, facing each other in a Bo3 format.
    • At the end of the group stage, the top team in each group qualified for the Upper Bracket Semifinals.
    • The next two teams in each group proceeded in the play-ins, also in a Bo3 format. The winner of that series moved on to the Lower Bracket Playoffs, while the loser was eliminated.
  • Playoffs: (June 11–13th, 2021)
    • Lower Bracket Rounds 1–2, Semifinals and the Upper Bracket Semifinals were in a Bo3 format.
    • The Upper and Lower Bracket Finals were in a Bo5 format.
    • The Grand Finals was a Bo7 format.

Teams Participating

Qualified teams for MSC 2021
Nation League Qualification method Date Team
Philippines Philippines MPL Philippines MPL Philippines Season 7 Champions 19 March – 30 May 2021
MPL Philippines Season 7 Runner-up
Philippines Execration
Indonesia Indonesia MPL Indonesia MPL Indonesia Season 7 Champions 26 February – 2 May 2021
MPL Indonesia Season 7 Runner-up
Indonesia Bigetron Alpha
Malaysia Malaysia MPL Malaysia MPL Malaysia Season 7 Champions 12 March – 30 May 2021
Malaysia RSG Malaysia
MPL Malaysia Season 7 Runner-up
Malaysia TODAK
Singapore Singapore MPL Singapore MPL Singapore Season 1 Champions 26 February – 2 May 2021
MPL Singapore Season 1 Runner-up
SingaporeRSG Singapore
Thailand Thailand — Direct invitation —
Thailand IDNOTSLEEP (IDNS)
Cambodia Cambodia
Cambodia KH Impunity
Laos Laos
Laos Nightmare Esports
Vietnam Vietnam
Vietnam Cyber EXE

[4]

Group Stage

All matches in the group stages were a best-of-three series, all playing in a single round-robin. The group winner qualified for the Upper Bracket Semifinals, while the bottom two teams per group qualified for the play-ins stage.[5]

Group A

Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 Malaysia RSG Malaysia 2 2 0 4 0 +4 4 Qualified for the Upper Bracket Semifinals
2 Singapore RSG Singapore 2 1 1 2 2 0 3 Qualified for the Play-ins
3 Thailand IDNS 2 0 2 0 4 −4 2
Source: [citation needed]

Group B

Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 Indonesia EVOS Legends 2 2 0 4 0 +4 4 Qualified for the Upper Bracket Semifinals
2 Malaysia Todak 2 1 1 2 2 0 3 Qualified for the Play-ins
3 Vietnam Cyber EXE 2 0 2 0 4 −4 2
Source: [citation needed]

Group C

Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 Philippines Blacklist International 2 2 0 4 0 +4 4 Qualified for the Upper Bracket Semifinals
2 Indonesia Bigetron Alpha 2 1 1 2 2 0 3 Qualified for the Play-ins
3 Cambodia KH Impunity 2 0 2 0 4 −4 2
Source: [citation needed]

Group D

Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 Philippines Execration 2 2 0 4 0 +4 4 Qualified for the Upper Bracket Semifinals
2 Singapore EVOS Singapore 2 1 1 2 2 0 3 Qualified for the Play-ins
3 Laos Nightmare Esports 2 0 2 0 4 −4 2
Source: [citation needed]

Play-ins Stage

Bottom two teams in each group competed for a spot in the lower brackets through the play-ins stage, with the winner advancing to the playoffs, while the losers being eliminated. All matches were a best-of-three series.[5]

Playoffs

All matches were a Bo3 series, except for the Upper and Lower Bracket Finals which were a Bo5 series, and the Grand Finals which was a Bo7 series.

Upper Bracket SemifinalsUpper Bracket FinalGrand Final
Malaysia RSG Malaysia0
Philippines Blacklist International2
Philippines Blacklist International3
Indonesia EVOS Legends0
Indonesia EVOS Legends2
Philippines Execration1
Philippines Blacklist International1
Philippines Execration4
Lower Bracket - Round 1Lower Bracket QuarterfinalsLower Bracket SemifinalsLower Bracket Final
Malaysia RSG Malaysia2
Indonesia Bigetron Alpha2Indonesia Bigetron Alpha1Indonesia EVOS Legends1
Malaysia TODAK0Malaysia RSG Malaysia0Philippines Execration3
Philippines Execration2
Philippines Execration2
Cambodia KH Impunity2Cambodia KH Impunity1
Singapore EVOS Singapore0

Source:[5]

With the win of Execration in the Grand Finals, the Philippines obtained its second MSC Cup in 2 years after Aether Main in 2018. This was the second time in MSC History wherein two teams from the same nation went head-to-head in the Grand Finals, the first was in 2019 when ONIC Esports and Louvre Esports faced off each other in the Finals. Both teams are from Indonesia.

Viewership

MSC 2021 was streamed online for a widespread reach and due to the COVID-19 pandemic MSC was forced to be hosted digitally.[citation needed] MSC 2021 recorded a record high of viewership, average viewership, and Hours Watched in MSC history. The tournaments were live steamed on YouTube, Facebook Gaming and NimoTV alongside TikTok and VK Live.[6][better source needed]

Peaker Viewers Average Viewers Hours Watched Reference
2,284,012 514,618 29,461,886 [7][better source needed]

High turnouts of viewership were from the teams competing in the competition. EVOS Esports of Indonesia has average viewers of over 986,314, followed by Execration, Blacklist International, Bigetron and RSG MY. EVOS, Execration, Blacklist have record high of viewership of over 500,000 viewers.

References

  1. ^ "Mobile Legends' MSC 2021 competition comes to a close". Pocket Tactics. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
  2. ^ "Sistem MSC 2021 | Esportsku". www.esportsku.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2021-09-14.
  3. ^ "MSC 2021: Results, schedule, format, prize pool, participating teams | ONE Esports". www.oneesports.gg. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
  4. ^ Alex, John. "MLBB Creator Camp". Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Vistek. "Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Southeast Asia Cup". msc.mobilelegends.com. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
  6. ^ escharts.com. "MSC 2021: Tournament Results and Viewership Stats | Esports Charts". escharts.com. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
  7. ^ escharts.com. "MLBB Southeast Asia Cup 2021 detailed viewers stats | Esports Charts". escharts.com. Retrieved 2021-08-26.