Images: MOONTON Games
This veteran Turkish squad survived the Wildcard, but will the scars they earned there prove to be the difference-maker in the Swiss Stage?
The Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) M6 World Championship is already underway, with 16 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 last entry in our series is ULFHEDNAR, the former Fire Flux Esports roster, a veteran squad hungry for glory and with the scars to prove their mettle. Can they utilize their head start against the opposition in the Swiss Stage?
ULFHEDNAR roster:
- Sidar “Tienzy” Menteşe
- Furkan “APEX47” Akbulut
- Emre “Sunshine” Sari
- Ahmet “Rosa” Batir
- Bariş “Alien” Ali Çakir
The M6 World Championship Wildcard stage winner, ULFHEDNAR, was formed just at the start of this month after the conclusion of MTC Türkiye Season 4. The former Fire Flux Esports players banded together under the ULFHEDNAR banner after Fire Flux Esports disbanded its MLBB division.
ULFHEDNAR's journey to M6 started when they won the MTC Türkiye Season 3 championship while still with Fire Flux Esports. Their run through the tournament was relatively smooth sailing, as they had a 24-4 record in the Regular Season and breezed through the upper bracket in the Playoffs. They then faced S2G Esports in the grand finals, defeating them with a 4-1 score to secure a slot in the MLBB Mid Season Cup (MSC) 2024.
In this year's MSC, Fire Flux Esports had a great Group Stage with two wins and one loss. However, they fell against eventual MSC 2024 champions Selangor Red Giants in their first series in the Playoffs and settled for a 5th-8th place finish.
With a goal to keep their domestic success and secure another M World Championship slot, Fire Flux Esports successfully qualified for the MTC Türkiye Season 4 Playoffs. But they were not at the top of the Regular Season leaderboard, as S2G Esports got the better of them this time.
Fire Flux Esports once again breezed through the upper bracket. However, they lost against S2G Esports in their second MTC Türkiye grand finals showdown of the year and only secured a Wildcard slot in the M6 World Championship.
After failing to win another MTC title, Fire Flux Esports shockingly disbanded their MLBB division on October 29, leaving the roster without an organisation. However, the roster swiftly banded together under ULFHEDNAR to compete in this year's MLBB world championship event. The sudden switch didn't faze them at all, as they had a smooth run in the M6 Wildcard Stage, albeit smeared with controversy.
Having secured a Swiss Stage appearance, ULFHEDNAR will have the experience advantage and a head start in the M6 metagame in their pocket. All five of their starting members were tournament veterans with at least three M World Championship appearances. Alien is notably the most experienced with four M Series appearances. Can ULFHEDNAR's experience help them secure a spot in the Knockout Stage?
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
- KeepBest Gaming, China's best bet
- Twisted Minds, a new star from MENA
- Team Liquid ID, the cavalry of new blood
- RRQ Hoshi, the uncrowned kings
- S2G Esports, the new champions of Türkiye
- Team Spirit, the conquerors of Eastern Europe
- Maycam Evolve, LATAM's newest heroes
- Falcon Esports, flying high for Myanmar
- Selangor Red Giants, Malaysia's biggest hope
- Team Vamos, Malaysia's veteran powerhouse
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.
Sixteen teams have qualified for the Swiss Stage after a gruelling Wildcard Stage. All will fight for their lives in the tournament as only eight slots open for the Knockout Stage. For everything you need to know about the M6 World Championship, check here.