MLBB: CN pro teams sign Filipino players KielVJ, National for Pre-Season Invitational Stage 1

China’s MLBB scene is not spared from the Filipino wave of imports as two players from Manila are headed to Beijing’s inaugural MLBB pro tourney.

Kiel “KielVJ” Cruzem and Tracy Danielle “National” Alerta Damas have been signed up by key Chinese squads, according to reports from ONE Esports and Tiebreaker Times.

KielVJ comes to the Chinese stage under the banner of Xianyou Gaming or XYG after what looks like a tour in various regions. He played under Bleed Esports in MPL Singapore Season 6 and was last seen with Burn x Flash in Games of the Future 2024 in Kazan, Russia.

KielVJ also won 2 MPL Philippines titles with Sunsparks and an MSC 2021 win as part of Execration. He eventually transferred to Smart Omega as both main roster player and as part of the developmental Smart Omega NEOS roster for three MPL-PH seasons.

Meanwhile, National last played for Cambodia’s Team SV. He will now play for M5 World Championship Wildcard team Keep Best Gaming.

The China Pre-Season Invitational will determine which team will represent the China for the 2024 Mid-Season Cup in Saudi Arabia this July, which is the biggest esports event in MLBB history with a US$3 million prize pool.

MLBB developer MOONTON Games has announced that the 2024 MLBB CN Pre-season Invitational has officially launched last March 21st. The competition is divided into two stages. Stage 1 features eight teams, including JDG, KBG, LL, MYG, NOVA, XYG, MXG, and MAX.

After completing the two stages, the top-ranked teams will advance to the Esports World Cup (EWC) China Qualification Tournament, which is in conjunction with the Mid-Season Cup (MSC).

“We hope to create a stable competition system for local clubs quickly, establish competitive training opportunities for professional players, and bring the highest level of competition content for players who are looking forward to the launch and testing of MLBB CN in the short term,” said Mike Chu, the Head of the MLBB Esports in China.