Reigning Mid Season Cup champions Team Liquid PH have been eliminated from the Esports World Cup 2026 in Riyadh. The story of the week is the sudden exit of the Philippine powerhouse during the MSC Group Stage. Their early departure leaves their regional rivals Team Falcons PH to carry the banner into the Knockout Stage and defend the historical dominance of the Philippines in competitive Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
MLBB Dominates the Esports World Cup Viewership
The MSC Group Stage has officially concluded as the most-watched tournament of the 2026 Esports World Cup. The viewership for the mobile MOBA has completely overtaken League of Legends at the event. Moonton’s Ray Ng confirmed the immense global scale of the title, noting that the previous M7 World Championship reached a staggering peak viewership of 5.6 million. The upcoming week will see the EWC MSC Knockout Stage begin, with Team Falcons PH facing intense pressure to secure the trophy.
Team Vitality Claims Fourth Women’s MLBB Championship
More significant than the overall viewership numbers is the continued growth of the women’s competitive scene. The Team Vitality women’s MLBB roster secured their fourth championship title at the EWC 2026. The grand finals drew a peak viewership of 565,483, confirming the massive audience for women’s competitive mobile gaming. The French organization continues to set the highest standard for the mobile ecosystem, executing intense preparation to secure the crown.
VCT Pacific Stage 2 Play-In Field Finalised Amid Roster Chaos
The Valorant scene in Southeast Asia is bracing for a turbulent week. Sources indicate star player naTz is expected to miss Team Secret’s highly anticipated series against Paper Rex due to visa issues. The organization is set to field skyeSG as a stand-in. This substitution completely alters the tactical matchup against the aggressive style of Paper Rex. Elsewhere in the region, the VCT Pacific Stage 2 Play-In field is fully set. QT DIG∞ claimed a first-place victory at VALORANT Challengers Japan 2026 to advance. They will join ONSIDE Gaming, Sharper Esports, and Xipto Esports in the upcoming Play-In stage kicking off in the next seven days.
Virtus.pro Wins EWC PUBG Battlegrounds Title and Honor of Kings Action
Week 3 of the Esports World Cup saw Virtus.pro claim the PUBG Battlegrounds title. While the EWC week 3 viewership dropped by half overall compared to the opening weeks, the broadcasts still reached a new Peak Viewers high. At the same venue, the massive $3 million Honor of Kings tournament continues its bracket stage. Back in the local Southeast Asian grassroots scene, KMD College claimed the Mobile Legends championship at the Varsity Esports Championship in Myanmar. In other regional action, Team Silenced defeated NTX Esports 3-1 at the Open Orbit Tournament 2026.
CS2 Deciders, FGC Records, and Dota 2 Exploit Fixes
In global Counter-Strike 2 action, WW claimed the WINLINE MPKBK LAN title. The series decider on Anubis saw deko produce a 2.59 rating with 31 frags over just 20 rounds, outfragging three of his teammates combined to seal the trophy. At the BLAST Bounty Season 2 Finals, Spirit advanced to the semi-finals over Liquid. Jorko made his LAN debut for Liquid in the loss but showed high potential.
In the fighting game community, the Marvel Tōkon Fighting Souls open beta broke Steam records with unprecedented player numbers, though players reported heavy PC performance stuttering. Finally, Valve deployed a major Dota 2 hotfix targeting a game-breaking Meepo exploit. The bug allowed players to duplicate items and generate infinite gold, forcing developers to temporarily remove the hero from the active pool before implementing the final patch.
Preparations Begin for the 2026 Esports Nations Cup
Looking ahead to international competition, sports brand adidas and the Esports Foundation have officially formed a partnership. The brand will provide the official uniforms for the inaugural Esports Nations Cup, scheduled to take place later in 2026. The event is scaling rapidly, with 20 countries recently granted guaranteed representation for the Apex Legends tournament. Furthermore, India has officially qualified for the EA Sports FC tournament at the Nations Cup, receiving a direct invite to the global stage.
Sources
- “Our preparation was pretty intense”: How Team Vitality’s MLBB roster breaks stereotypes about mobile gaming and women’s esports — Esports Insider
- VCT Pacific Stage 2 2026: Schedule, results, teams, and how to watch — Dot Esports
- WW claim WINLINE MPKBK LAN title after 2.59-rated deko decider — HLTV
- Spirit advance to BLAST Bounty semis over Liquid — HLTV
- Dota 2 Meepo hotfix targets game-breaking item duplication exploit — Esports Insider
- Moonton’s Ray Ng on MLBB at the Esports World Cup, growing mobile in the West, and AI coaching tools — Esports Insider
- Marvel Tōkon Fighting Souls beta broke Steam records, but its future in the FGC seems dire — Esports Insider
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