With the groups for MSC 2023 set, we take a look at each one separately and break down which team is most likely to come out on top.
As the Mobile Legends Southeast Asia Cup 2023 quickly approaches, teams are doing their last-minute preparations for the epic event. After the Group Stage draw, the twelve teams have been set in four groups, with three teams per group. Only two of these teams from each group will make their way into the Knockout Stage, and we are breaking down each group to determine which team is most likely to excel – and who could face elimination before the next round. With the best-of-three series across the Group Stage, there is everything to play for immediately.
Group A
ECHO
Fire Flux Impunity
Team EVO
Group A features the MPL PH Season 11 and M4 World Championship winners, ECHO, as well as the Mekong Qualifier, Team EVO, and the MTC Season 1 champion, Fire Flux Impunity. For one team, things should be relatively easy considering their recent form – while it will be the other two which will see an exciting battle to decide the second and third-place seeding.
ECHO
Coming off a masterclass victory at M4, followed by another stunning show of skill at the Mobile Legends Professional League’s eleventh season in the Philippines, ECHO is not only the favourite for Group A but for the entire MSC 2023 event. With 
Karltzy in the jungle and Frederic Benedict “Bennyqt” Gonzales blasting from the gold lane, this team has proven that they are one of the best in a very short time – taking down their regional rivals, Blacklist International, at every turn.
With Fredrinn being such a highly contested pick at the moment, you can expect to see some fantastic antics with the hero from Karltzy, especially after he went 10-1 with it at M4, guiding his team to their victory. The team also favours Mage picks such as Yve and Pharsa which are able to deal out massive amounts of damage in a big area while keeping their composure to secure objectives across the map. ECHO’s chances for winning MSC 2023 are high, and their opportunity to take the first seed in Group A seems unfathomable for the other two teams – especially with the chance of a PH “three-peat” of victories at the event.
Team EVO
The Mekong Qualifier for MSC 2023 was hotly contested, with teams such as MDH Esports, IDONOTSLEEP Esports, and even Niightmare Esports in the mix. The final battle came down to two Laos teams – Team EVO and Niightmare, in which EVO scrapped the victory at the end, even securing a SAVAGE to claim their spot in style. With that said, not very much is known about the team, which could certainly cause some problems for the rest of Group A.
From what we saw at the qualifier, the team definitely favours Wanwan for their gold lane player, 
BisTon, but that is not the only hero he excels with. EVO also seem to enjoy playing with a bit more tank in their lineup, with Gloo and Akai being picked together at times. It will be interesting to see if they can cause some upsets this year, after the previous Laos challenger in 2021’s MSC was unable to win a single game – and began in the group of the eventual winners, Execration.
Fire Flux Impunity
Fire Flux Impunity is by no means a new team, as we will all remember them as Incendio Supremacy from the M4 World Championships earlier this year. Now playing under a new name, this team is definitely not one for teams to forget, especially after they took down Team HAQ and MDH Esports at M4 and gave us one of the most exciting group stages at M4 too. This team are a shoo-in for the second seed after ECHO and has proven previously that they do not fear the MPL teams at all.
Two players to look out for in this team for those going up against them are 
Bariş “Alien” Ali Çakir and Sidar “Tienzy” Menteşe, the EXP and jungle laners, respectively. With Alien known for his amazing Benedetta’s, and Tienzy able to play a massive number of junglers, FFI could be the so-called “dark horse” of MSC 2023, but it should also be noted that the team's breakthrough success mid-lane player from M4, Rosa, is not a part of this roster. This is definitely a team to watch, and should they manage to cause an upset over ECHO during the group stage, they will have a good chance at reaching the upper echelons of placements.
With all that said, we all know that Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is never predictable, and teams have a penchant for bringing out their best at international tournaments. We will have to wait for June 10th to really see what these teams bring out and who will be aiming their sights on the championship as the countdown to MSC 2023 continues. You can keep up with all the information on the upcoming event via our MLBB tab or our MSC 2023 tournament page.
