The long awaited IESF World Esports Championship 2023 Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) tournament is finally kicking off today! Catch sixteen international teams vying for the lion's share of the USD 100,000 prize pool, and the opportunity to bear the crown of the first-ever IESF MLBB championship.

Taking place in Iași, Romania - the Group Stage features a single round robin format that will be held today till August 30. The participating teams will be split in groups of four, where they'll have to battle it out in a best-of-three (BO3) series. The top two teams from each group will then proceed onto the Playoffs held from August 31 to September 3, in double elimination bracket. The final two teams will face off in a best-of-five series at Main Stage B.

"We're proud to be part of the global esports family brought together by the IESF committee, and to celebrate competitive gaming," stated Ray Ng, Head of Esports Ecosystem, MOONTON Games, "This event wouldn't have been made possible without the tireless efforts of our partners and  athletes, and we look forward to the many surprises that the championship has in store."

The participating countries for this year's MLBB tournament are:

1. Romania

2. Indonesia

3. United States

4. Brazil

5. Colombia

6. Egypt

7. Senegal

8. Namibia

9. Ukraine

10. Turkey

11. Georgia

12. Philippines

13. Mongolia

14. UAE

15. Kazakhstan

16. Saudi Arabia