Images: MOONTON Games
China has yet to make a mark in MLBB esports, will KeepBest Gaming be the breakout Chinese team in the M6 World Championship?
The Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) M6 World Championship is set to kick off on November 21, with 23 of the best MLBB teams from all across the world fighting to claim the lion's share of a $1 million prize pool and this year's MLBB world title. In this series, we'll be taking a look at all the teams that qualified for the Swiss Stage and their chances of becoming the 2024 MLBB world champions.
The sixth entry in our series will feature 
KeepBest Gaming, the first Chinese team in the history of MLBB to qualify for the M series.
KeepBest Gaming roster:
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Gao “Siyu” Yifan - Gold Lane- “BeLexi” - Gold Lane
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Kenneth “Saxa” Fedelin - Jungler![]()
Shen “LMU” Yuan - Middle Lane- “WindReturn” - EXP Lane
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Damasco “Tracy” Danielle - Roamer
Gao “Siyu” Yifan
Kenneth “Saxa” FedelinChina's best bet
While MLBB was developed by Chinese developer MOONTON Games, China was only integrated into the game's esports ecosystem last year. And KeepBest Gaming was the first Chinese team to make their mark in MLBB esports by taking part in the M5 World Championship, though they arguably didn't make it to the tournament itself as they bombed out of the Wildcard Stage's Group Stage.
This year, however, China received more support in the form of a proper qualifier for the M6 World Championship. Two spots were granted to Chinese teams, one directly into the Swiss Stage and the other in the Wildcard Stage.
Looking to improve on their abysmal performance last year, KeepBest Gaming reinforced their roster by signing two Filipino imports in Saxa and Tracy back in April. This was a prudent move. After all, the Philippines has reigned as the top country in MLBB for years now, and many teams from all across the world have been signing Filipino players to shore up their lineups.
KeepBest Gaming's decision seemed to have paid off, as they won the China Pre-Season Invitational Stage 2 after adding Saxa and Tracy after only managing a 7th-8th place finish in Stage 1 the month before with a full Chinese roster. They also qualified for the inaugural MLBB Mid Season Cup in June, though they failed to make it out of the Wildcard Stage.
Despite that setback, KeepBest Gaming kept trucking on and guaranteed their return to the M series by winning the M6 World Championship's Chinese qualifier in October. It wasn't an easy path, to be sure, as they notably had to survive three-straight five-game slugfests in the Playoffs to punch their tickets to Kuala Lumpur.
Having earned a spot in the Swiss Stage, KeepBest Gaming are guaranteed at least a Top 16 finish – much better than their early exit from the Wildcard Stage in last year's tournament. With that said, it's safe to say that the team has much higher aspirations than just avoiding early elimination.
Almost every top esport title has seen Chinese teams rise to the top, MLBB is one of the rare few that hasn't yet. But if Chinese teams are to leave their mark on MLBB esports in the future, KeepBest Gaming will have to be the trailblazers with a statement performance in the M6 World Championship. Time will tell if they are up to the challenge.
M6 World Championship team profiles:
- Fnatic ONIC PH, the Philippines' top contender
- Aurora Gaming, the Filipino superteam
- NIP Flash, Singapore's rising stars
- CFU Gaming, Cambodia's finest
- BloodThirstyKings, the kings of North America
The M6 World Championship will take place from November 21 to December 15 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and is split into three distinct phases: the Wildcard Stage from November 21 to 24, the Swiss Stage from November 28 to December 5, and the Knockout Stage from December 7 to 15.
Of the 23 participating teams, 15 directly qualified to the Swiss Stage while eight others will start in the Wildcard Stage, where they will fight for the 16th and final spot in the Swiss Stage. For everything you need to know about the M6 World Championship, check here.
