Malaysia Wins MLBB Bronze at the Asian Games 2026: How the Run Ended
By KITAMEN • October 2026
Executive Summary
- Malaysia won bronze in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, sharing the medal with Mongolia. The event had no bronze-medal match, so both beaten semi-finalists took bronze.
- The run: top of Group B (2-0 over Indonesia, 2-1 over Saudi Arabia), a 2-0 quarter-final win over Jordan, then a 0-2 semi-final loss to Myanmar, who beat Indonesia 4-0 for gold on 1 October.
- The squad that medalled was not the one that qualified in June: only one of the six qualifier players travelled to Japan, and the head coach changed. The reasons are only partly on record.
Deep Dive: The Run, Match by Match
MLBB made its debut as an Asian Games medal event at the Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, with the group stage on 29 September, the quarter-finals and semi-finals on 30 September and the final on 1 October, per the official bracket. Iran, one of the 12 nations that had qualified, did not play, leaving eleven teams in four groups (three groups of three and one of two). The top two in each group went through to an eight-team knockout of best-of-three series, with a best-of-seven final.
Malaysia sat in Group B with Indonesia and Saudi Arabia and won both matches. It beat Indonesia 2-0, then beat Saudi Arabia 2-1 after losing game one, finishing top of the group on a 4-1 game record (official group results). Beating Indonesia was the second time in 2026 Malaysia had done it: it also won 2-1 at the June qualifier in Singapore (Liquipedia).
The knockouts were decided on 30 September. Malaysia beat Jordan 2-0 in the quarter-final, then met Myanmar in the semi-final and lost 0-2. Myanmar went on to beat Indonesia 4-0 in the final for gold (Moonton). There was no bronze-medal match: the official bracket shows both beaten semi-finalists, Malaysia and Mongolia, awarded bronze.
After the semi-final, Sekys told Bernama that Malaysia led in game two and had the chance to force a decider: “Perhaps, we were too overexcited because we took the lead. We could not keep each other calm and maintain our composure midway through the game.” He also said that once the Philippines, the qualifier winners, went out in the quarter-final, the team felt confident of gold.
Local Insight: A Different Squad From the One That Qualified
Malaysia reached Japan by the narrowest route. It finished fifth of eight at the Singapore qualifier on a 3-4 record and took the last Southeast Asian slot one point ahead of Vietnam (10 points to 9), although Vietnam had beaten Malaysia 2-1 in their meeting on the final day (Liquipedia).
Five weeks later the team changed. NST reported on 5 September, after a squad list circulated on social media, that Xorn had been dropped. Of the six players who played the qualifier, only Sizkaa travelled to Aichi-Nagoya, and the head coach moved from SaintDeLucaz to Poon Kok Sing, known as OzoraVeki (Bernama). See the full list in our squad guide.
Xorn told NST he was informed through a WhatsApp group message and said the selectors wanted stronger medal prospects, adding that the qualifier showing was “not convincing”. NST quotes no statement from the Malaysia Esports Federation (MESF) on the decision, we found no official announcement of the final squad, and we found no published reason for the coaching change. The result is the only evidence available on whether the overhaul worked: the new squad won its group, which the qualifier squad had not come close to doing.
What the Bronze Means
Our June analysis, Can Malaysia Win an MLBB Medal?, called Malaysia an underdog whose realistic aim was the playoff and a medal “a stretch but not a fantasy”. The team beat that read. It also expected the Philippines to be the favourites; they lost their quarter-final 1-2 to Indonesia.
MESF president Naim Al Amin Saharudin told NST on 1 October that MESF will apply to move MLBB from the part-time to the full-time Podium Programme, so players have “more time and space to train together and build team synergy”. That is one official’s stated intention, not an approved decision.
The bronze was one of five esports medals for Malaysia at the Games. For the full count, event by event, see our esports medal breakdown.
The Central Connection
KITAMEN followed this campaign from the Singapore qualifier onward. The earlier pieces are kept online as published: the road to a medal, the schedule and format guide and the pre-event odds read, each now carrying a result note at the top.
Malaysia’s MLBB results at the Asian Games 2026
| Date and stage | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Sep, Group B | Malaysia 2-0 Indonesia | official group results |
| 29 Sep, Group B | Malaysia 2-1 Saudi Arabia (Saudi Arabia won game one) | official group results |
| 30 Sep, quarter-final | Malaysia 2-0 Jordan | official bracket |
| 30 Sep, semi-final | Myanmar 2-0 Malaysia | official bracket |
| 1 Oct, final | Myanmar 4-0 Indonesia; Malaysia and Mongolia share bronze | official bracket |
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Malaysia win a medal in MLBB at the Asian Games 2026?
Yes. Malaysia won bronze in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, sharing it with Mongolia. Malaysia topped Group B, beat Jordan 2-0 in the quarter-final and lost the semi-final 0-2 to Myanmar.
Who won MLBB gold at the Asian Games 2026?
Myanmar won gold, beating Indonesia 4-0 in the final on 1 October 2026. Indonesia took silver. Malaysia and Mongolia, the beaten semi-finalists, shared bronze.
Why did Malaysia get bronze without playing a bronze-medal match?
The MLBB event had no bronze-medal match. According to the official bracket, both beaten semi-finalists received bronze, which is why Malaysia and Mongolia share the medal.
Who played for Malaysia in MLBB at the Asian Games 2026?
The squad was Sizkaa, Sekys, Stormie, CikuGais, YumS and Unii, coached by Poon Kok Sing (OzoraVeki), according to Bernama and Liquipedia. Only Sizkaa was also in the squad that played the June qualifier.
How did Malaysia qualify for the MLBB event?
Malaysia finished fifth of eight at the Southeast Asian qualifier in Singapore on a 3-4 record and took the last slot one point ahead of Vietnam, although Vietnam beat Malaysia 2-1 in their meeting on the final day.
Is this Malaysia’s first esports medal at the Asian Games?
No. Malaysia won a silver in Arena of Valor and a bronze in Dota 2 at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games, which was held in 2023. Mobile Legends was a medal event for the first time in 2026, so the bronze is Malaysia’s first MLBB medal at the Games.
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Versi Bahasa Melayu
Malaysia won bronze in MLBB at the Asian Games 2026, shared with Mongolia because the event had no bronze-medal match. Malaysia topped Group B, beat Jordan 2-0 and lost the semi-final 0-2 to champions Myanmar. The squad that medalled differed from the one that qualified in June: only Sizkaa carried over, and the head coach changed.
