Outplay to Replace BTK for MSC 2023 Due to Non-compliance With Requirements

The North American team BloodThirstyKings (BTK) has lost its ticket to the Mobile Legends Southeast Asia Cup (MSC) 2023 as it failed to meet tournament requirements. In a disappointing turn of events, Moonton officially announced that the team shall be replaced with the North America Challenger Tournaments (NACT) Spring 2023 runner-up team, OutPlay, as the region’s representative for the tournament.

The highly anticipated MSC 2023 is set to begin on 10th June with the grand finale set to be held on 18th June. Various qualifier events were held to select each region’s representatives.

BTK to be replaced by OutPlay due to MSC 2023 rules

According to the tournament rules for MSC 2023, each participating team is required to maintain a minimum of 7 members, including a coach, five players (starters), and one substitute. 

Regrettably, BTK fell short of this requirement, leading to its disqualification from the competition. Additionally, the rules stipulate that players' rosters need to remain the same as the team that qualified for MSC 2023 unless exceptional circumstances necessitated changes before the roster lock date. This was revealed through a Facebook post by Mobile Legends Esports.

“Unfortunately, one of BTK's players did not have a valid passport, and another player's legal guardian did not consent to their participation, resulting in the team being unable to meet the requirements,” the post captioned.

Despite efforts made by BTK's management in collaboration with Moonton, between 15th May and 22nd May, to rectify the situation, the team was unable to secure the necessary travel documents, including visas and flight tickets.

As a result of BTK's withdrawal, the MSC qualification from NACT has been reallocated to the runner-up team, Team OutPlay. The team has graciously accepted the opportunity to represent NACT in MSC 2023 and has demonstrated compliance with all the requisite requirements outlined by the tournament organizers.

“We understand that this news may disappoint BTK fans, and we apologize for any inconvenience caused,” the post wrote.

While recognizing the disappointment felt by BTK's fans, the organizers stress the importance of upholding the rules and regulations to ensure fair competition. They apologize for any inconvenience caused and assure BTK that they will have priority in participating in the IESF competition, with a separate announcement to be made by the International Esports Federation (IESF) Mobile Legends event regarding the confirmed United States (US) representative.

While it may be unfortunate for BTK to lose its MSC 2023 ticket, this gives the team more time to make preparations for the upcoming IESF event.