MDL PH Season 5 — the fifth season of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) Developmental League (MDL) Philippines — launched on 4 March 2025, ushering in a fresh wave of emerging esports talents. The tournament runs until 30 April 2025 for its regular season, from Tuesdays to Thursdays, while the playoffs season runs from 17-18 May 2025.
As the official pathway to the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) Philippines, MDL PH continues to serve as the ultimate proving ground for aspiring professional players, casters, coaches, and hosts. This season, the Regular Season will consist of three phases: Group Stage, Seeding Rounds, and Play-Ins, leading up to the Playoffs.
With the conclusion of the Open Qualifiers, six new teams have emerged victorious and secured their spots in the Regular Season. These teams will join the six returning franchised teams, two new MPL-affiliated teams, and two returning non-affiliated squads—bringing the total number of competing teams to 16.
Adding further structure to the league, MDL PH Season 5 introduces a key system change: MPL PH teams can only recruit players who have participated in MDL PH before making the jump to the professional league. This change reinforces MDL’s role in fostering homegrown talent and ensuring a fair and competitive landscape for all aspiring MLBB professionals.
This season, Lazy Esports, the reigning MDL Season 4 champions, will debut in MPL PH under AP Bren, solidifying MDL’s success in developing professional-level players. The upcoming season also highlights a diverse pool of talent from across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, emphasizing the nationwide reach of MLBB esports.
MDL PH Season 5: The Teams
Returning MPL-Affiliated Teams:
- AP Bren RWE
- Aurora Hunters
- Smart Omega Neos
- Team Liquid PH Academy
- TNC x Voltes PH
- ONIC x Nine Lives
New MPL-Affiliated Teams:
- Twisted Rising
- Team Falcons Academy
Returning Non-Affiliated Teams:
- RRQ Kaito
- Martial Mayhem
New Non-Affiliated Teams:
- Karibok Heroes (previously CCs QOS Esports)
- Flair Esports
- Gods of Edith (previously LF ORG)
- Uncle Drew Gamerpact (previously Uncle Drew Gamerpact Ascend)
- Metacore CE (previously Team Zodiacs Tigers)
- Minerva Esports
Tournament Format & Schedule
MDL PH Season 5 introduces a three-phase tournament format for the Regular Season:
- Group Stage – 16 teams will be split into four groups, competing in a single round-robin best-of-two (BO2) format.
- Seeding Rounds – Teams will be regrouped based on their Group Stage standings and will compete in best-of-three (BO3) matches.
- Play Ins – A single-elimination bracket determines the final standings, with the first round in BO3 and the second round in best-of-five (BO5).
- Play-Offs – The final round of the tournament to determine the season’s league champion, having best-of-seven (BO7) matches for both Semi-finals and Grand Finals.
Maya and TTRacing support MDL PH Season 5 as the official sponsors, and Robinsons as the official venue partner of the Open Qualifiers.
Catch the Action Live
Fans can watch every match live on MDL Philippines’ official streaming channels: