JAKARTA, Indonesia – Mobile Legends esports notched a new milestone as the most popular teams from the Philippines and Indonesia broke viewership records in the M4 World Championship.

The upper bracket semifinals between Blacklist International and RRQ Hoshi on Wednesday, January 11, lived up to the hype and peaked with over 4.2 million viewers according to data provided by analytical agency Esports Charts.

It shattered the previous record of nearly 3.2 million peak viewers set in M3 a year prior when Onic Philippines swept RRQ Hoshi, 3-0, in the upper bracket semifinals.

The best-of-five series, which Blacklist International won 3-2, has made M4 the third most-watched esports tournament of all time.

Only the 2021 Free Fire World Series staged in Singapore (5.4 million) and the 2022 League of Legends World Championship held in United States and Mexico (5.1 million) recorded more peak viewers.

According to Esports Charts, Mobile Legends now has four events in the top 10 of the peak viewership list, tying League of Legends.

M4 can still eclipse its own mark with more important matches left to be played until the grand finals on Sunday, January 15.

There is a possibility that Blacklist International faces another Indonesian squad in the upper bracket finals as it tangles with the winner between Onic Esports and Filipino team Echo.

Meanwhile, RRQ Hoshi is expected to continue drawing millions of viewers even after being dropped to the lower bracket. – Rappler.com