There’s nowhere to go but up for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang esports in 2023.

The upper bracket semifinal match between defending champion Blacklist International and Indonesia’s RRQ Hoshi at the M4 World Championship was the most-viewed MLBB esports series of all time, according to analytics agency Esports Charts.

Around 4.2 million fans tuned in to the best-of-five series, surpassing the 3.19 million peak viewership record during the ONIC PH vs RRQ Hoshi playoffs match at the M3 World Championship two years ago.

Millions of fans watched Blacklist International take on RRQ Hoshi at the M4 World Championship

M4 World Championship peak viewership record by Esports Charts
Credit: Esports Charts

The series was highly anticipated, featuring one of the most popular Indonesian teams squaring off against the three-time MPL PH champion. As such, Indonesians made up 2.6 million of the total viewers, while the remainder were scattered across the world.

The best-of-five showdown did not disappoint as both teams duked it out to try and secure one of two upper-bracket final slots. RRQ Hoshi dominated the first game, but the Filipino squad took the next two games to secure the matchpoint.

However, RRQ forced the decider on the back of Albert “Alberttt” Iskandar’s signature Ling pick. It was a back-and-forth affair in the fifth and final game, but the match ultimately went in favor of the Tier One-backed squad at the 24-minute mark.

The defending champions are now the first team to reach the upper bracket final and will face the winner of the game between fellow MPL PH team ECHO and MPL ID Season 10 champion ONIC Esports. The match will take place on Thursday, January 12, at 7 p.m. GMT+8.

Here’s everything you need to know about the tournament, including the schedule and results of the knockout stage. Follow ONE Esports on Facebook for more Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and M4 news, guides, and updates.

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