Here are GosuGamers' picks for the favourites, contenders, dark horses, and underdogs in the MLBB Mid Season Cup 2026.

The Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) Mid Season Cup (MSC) 2026 is almost upon us. From 22 July to 1 August, 16 of the best MLBB teams in the world will be battling for the first international title of the season as well as the lion's share of US$1 million out of the tournament's US$3 million prize pool.

Of the 16 teams qualified for the MSC's main event, 15 earned their spots by winning or finishing in the Top 2 of their respective regional leagues or qualifiers. 

These teams include Team Liquid PH and Team Falcons PH from the Philippines, Bigetron by Vitality and ONIC from Indonesia, Selangor Red Giants and Team Vamos from Malaysia, PRO Esports from Cambodia, Yangon Galacticos from Myanmar, IGNITE Gaming from Singapore, Geekay Esports from MENA, Team Spirit from the CIS, Aurora Gaming from Turkiye, Guangzhou Gaming from China, Entity7 from the Americas, and True Rippers Esports from India. The 16th and final slot in the tournament was claimed by MENA's Team Falcons, who won the Wildcard earlier this month.

With so many teams competing in the MSC, it can be difficult to figure out which teams to root for. Fret not, GosuGamers has you covered. Read on as we break down all of the teams competing in the MSC by designating the teams that we think are either the favourites, contenders, dark horses, and underdogs.

Favourites - Team Liquid PH, Team Falcons PH, Selangor Red Giants, Bigetron by Vitality

It shouldn't come as a surprise that Filipino teams are among the biggest favourites to win any international MLBB event, and this year's MSC is no exception. Both of the Philippines' representatives boast the strongest fundamentals and huge hero pools that should allow them to adapt to any metagame that emerges in the tournament. 

Defending champions Team Liquid PH are heading into MSC 2026 in peak form as the MLBB Professional League (MPL) Philippines Season 17 champions, and will be looking to make history as the first-ever team to win the tournament in back-to-back years. Of course, MPL PH Season 17 runners-up Team Falcons PH are not far behind their domestic rivals and should strike fear into their opponents. 

Selangor Red Giants (SRG) are another top pick, having won the title in 2023 and finishing second in 2024. If there is one team that can take down the top Filipino squads, it will be these titans of Malaysia that are still fresh off a historic fifth straight MPL Malaysia title. A third straight year of making the MSC grand finals should be the baseline result for SRG, though it remains to be seen if they can reclaim the trophy this year.

Meanwhile, Bigetron by Vitality will be carrying the hopes of Indonesia in this year's MSC. While they aren't quite as experienced in top-tier international competition as the other favourites we've listed, there's no denying the sheer amount of talent in this squad. If Bigetron by Vitality can channel the same magic they used in their lower bracket run to win the MPL Indonesia Season 17 title in MSC, we reckon only the other tournament favourites can hope to match them.

Contenders - ONIC, Team Spirit, Aurora Gaming, Team Vamos

While MPL ID Season 17 runners-up ONIC sit a tier below the favourites, they arguably have as good a chance to win MSC as any of them. Boasting some of the best players from both Indonesia and the Philippines, ONIC only needs to catch fire in the earlier stages of the tournament to suddenly usurp the favourites.

Team Spirit and Aurora Gaming are far and away the strongest teams hailing from outside MLBB's heartland in Southeast Asia. Both squads have already shown they have what it takes to go blow-for-blow with the juggernauts from the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia with multiple deep runs in international events over the past couple of years. Expect Spirit and Aurora to be in the thick of the action come the Knockout Stage, and don't be surprised if they upset some of the powerhouses from Southeast Asia.

Then there's MPL Malaysia Season 17 runners-up Team Vamos, a squad that can boast talent rivaling those of the tournament favourites. However, what holds them back from rising a tier is their tendency to let leads slip away. If they can prevent such rookie mistakes from happening, then Vamos should be counted among the biggest names in the fight for this year's MSC title.

Dark horses - PRO Esports, Geekay Esports, Team Falcons, Yangon Galacticos

While all of the teams in this tier don't quite have the same level of prestige around them as our picks for favourites and contenders, they should never be underestimated. 

Cambodia's PRO Esports are arguably the biggest dark horses of this year's MSC, boasting a roster brimming with potential and just waiting for the opportunity to showcase it on the game's biggest stages. Despite its smaller scene compared to the rest of Southeast Asia, Cambodia has produced plenty of teams that have punched way above their weight in multiple international tournaments over the years. We expect PRO Esports to carry on that legacy in MSC this year.

Meanwhile, Geekay Esports and Team Falcons will be carrying the banner for the quickly-rising MENA scene. Geekay earned their spot in MSC 2026 by winning MPL MENA Season 9, with Falcons joining their regional rivals in the tournament after a surviving the Wildcard earlier this month. While MENA has been a step behind the other regions in terms of their understanding of the metagame, their potential is undeniable. If things go their way, Geekay and Falcons can very well pull off some big upsets.

Yangon Galacticos have been the dominant force in the growing Burmese scene since last year, and even made it to the Top 8 of the M7 World Championship back in January. While they have made a few roster changes since then, the core of the squad that turned heads at M7 still remain. With that said, Yangon Galacticos still have plenty to prove, and MSC 2026 is as good a place as any to do just that.

Underdogs - IGNITE Gaming, Entity7, Guangzhou Gaming, True Rippers

With all due respect to the teams in this tier, we don't expect any of them to make it out of the Group Stage. However, they can still make some noise against the more prestigious squads if things can their way.

IGNITE Gaming will be carrying the banner for the struggling Singaporean MLBB scene, with a roster featuring some of the nation's most decorated veterans. If there's one underdog team with the biggest potential to cause some upsets, IGNITE will be our pick.

Meanwhile, South America's Entity7, China's Guangzhou Gaming, and India's True Rippers will be representing fledgling scenes in MSC 2026. While we don't expect much from these squads, the mere fact that they're playing in this tournament is already a huge accomplishment. Whatever happens to them in MSC, it will be valuable experience that will hopefully help them grow for future tournaments.

What is the MLBB Mid Season Cup 2026?

The MLBB MSC 2026 is the first major international tournament of the 2026 competitive season and is being hosted as part of the Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris, France. The tournament gathers 16 of the best teams in the world, with 15 teams earning their spots by winning or finishing in the Top 2 of their respective regional leagues or qualifiers while the 16th slot is granted to the winner of the Wildcard.

The participating teams will be battling it out in Paris' Lenovo Legion Gauntlet arena for the right to call themselves the MLBB MSC 2026 champions and claim the lion's share of US$1 million out of the tournament's US$3 million prize pool.

The MLBB MSC 2026's main event is split into two distinct phases: the Group Stage from 22 to 26 July and the Knockout Stage from 29 July to 1 August. 

The Group Stage will split the 16 teams into two groups of eight teams each. They will then compete in a GSL-style double-elimination bracket with best-of-three matches, with four teams from each group advancing to the Knockout Stage.

The Knockout Stage will be a single-elimination bracket with three rounds plus a third place decider match. Each of the four teams that qualified to the Knockout Stage through the upper bracket of their respective groups during the Group Stage will earn the right to select their opponents from the four teams that qualified through the lower bracket of their groups. All matches in the Knockout Stage will be a best-of-five except for the grand finals, which will be a full best-of-seven series.

In addition, all matches in the MLBB MSC 2026 will be played with the ‘Annual Map Change’ feature, with four different variations of the in-game map being implemented randomly in every game. The four maps variations are as follows:

  • Dangerous Grass - Dense bushes now cover key areas like Mid, Lord's pit, and turrets.
  • Broken Walls - New wall gaps open shortcuts across the map.
  • Flying Cloud - Near-base platforms let respawned heroes hover for 5 seconds, quickly reaching high ground.
  • Expanding Rivers - The river now spills into nearby lanes, boosting movement speed.