M-League Watch

The M-League 2026-27 Draft is on June 25! Today, we’ll take a look at everything you need to know about the draft.

The Draft

The M-League 2026-27 Draft will take place on June 25 starting at 18:00 JST. It will be broadcast live on the ABEMA Mahjong Channel. The broadcast is expected to last 30 minutes.

Drafting Order

The teams eligible to draft will pick one player each, going in reverse standings order of the 2024-25 season.

The Kadokawa Sakura Knights will be filling in the spot left by Shibukawa Nanba, the U-Next Pirates for Kobayashi Go’s spot, and the Sega Sammy Phoenix for Asai Takaki’s spot.

Candidate Eligibility

Drafting teams have the option to draft from any of the five supporting professional mahjong organizations:

• Japan Professional Mahjong Federation (JPML)
• Nihon Pro Mahjong (NPM)
• Saikouisen Pro Mahjong (SPM)
• Mahjong Union (Mu/μ!)
• Real Mahjong Unit (RMU)

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On June 5, 2026, it was announced that Shibukawa Nanba has requested to leave the Kadokawa Sakura Knights ahead of the publishing of a magazine article exposing an affair that Shibukawa had over the past few years.

In an apology video, it was revealed that Shibukawa had been in a relationship with a woman starting in October 2022 that continued until recently, even after he married fellow mahjong pro Hayakawa Rinka in March 2023. Though the exact contents of the article have not been revealed, Shibukawa states that LINE messages may also be included.

As a result of his shortcomings, he expressed deep regret for what he did and apologized to all his fans and those involved. And although it did bring great pain to his wife and deeply broke her trust in him, she will not be filing for divorce, but she will be “seeing how he will make amends in the future”.

Shibukawa also stated that he will be suspending all professional mahjong activities for the time being.

【所属選手に関するご報告】

弊チーム所属の渋川難波選手に関してご報告がございます。

ファンの皆様、関係者の皆様に多大なるご心配とご迷惑をおかけしておりますこと、深くお詫び申し上げます。

詳細は公式サイトまたは添付画像をご確認ください。https://t.co/pxnd9Lvmq1 pic.twitter.com/NQAE5BAUwM

— KADOKAWAサクラナイツ🌸 (@kadokawa_sk) June 5, 2026

In the team’s official statement, manager Morii Takumi said that they will be considering and discussing next steps as the June 10 deadline to confirm contract intentions approaches.

Shibukawa Nanba got his start in M-League as part of the commentary team, getting his first chance in the booth on March 2020. In July 2022, he was drafted by the Kadokawa Sakura Knights. And after winning the 2023 edition of M-Tournament, he helped take his team to the finals in the very next season, where they finished in 3rd place.

On May 28, 2026, the Sega Sammy Phoenix announced that they would not be renewing Asai Takaki‘s contract for the 2026-27 season.

In Takaki’s comments on Twitter, he says it was “team changes” (編成の都合) as the reason why he was dropped.

【ご報告】

この度、契約満了に伴いセガサミーフェニックスを退団することとなりました。

病気に関しては医師からも問題ないと言われております。チームからは「編成の都合」で交代を告げられました。ただただ自分の力不足で応援していただいた皆様には申し訳ない気持ちでいっぱいです。… https://t.co/JWgvjbB2Si

— 浅井堂岐（たかき） (@taka12taka24) May 28, 2026

Takaki expressed disappointment, especially since his doctor gave him the okay after experiencing a subarachnoid hemorrhage which sent him to the hospital earlier last season.

His teammates (who all had their contracts renewed) expressed gratitude for the two years they competed with each other, with Genta saying that it would be “awesome to compete with him again, but next time as an opponent”.

Takaki was drafted by the Sega Sammy Phoenix in the 2024-25 season as the 2nd overall pick. In the 2024-25 season, he was part of the team effort of getting no 4ths in the semifinals (the first team ever to accomplish the feat) and the team eventually went on to win the championship.

However, he finished 26/36 in his first season with a -215.3pts result (including a yakuman deal-in), and a -81.7pts result in the most recent season.

Earlier this month, Takaki wrote a note regarding the sudden hospitalization and his recovery, and indicated that more about it will be written and released in August.

The M-League Watch team would like to wish Takaki the best of health and the best in his continuing mahjong journey.

In Games #13-14 of the M-League 2025-26 Finals, it’s clear that the finals are coming to a close. Every move carries great weight, not just for the player but for the whole team and all their fans. And with multiple limit hands and great comebacks, this final Thursday was an enjoyable day to watch.

Let’s get right into it, shall we?

Before the Games

Our commentators of the day are Kobayashi Misa and Saikouisen’s Kouno Naoya.

After a quick look at the action on Tuesday, we looked at the standings.

The EX Furinkazan has a strong lead of 133.8pts, though with four games left to go, even the 4th place Team Raiden has a chance.

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Intro | Game #13 | Game #14

Games #11-12 of the M-League 2025-26 Finals were another set of incredible games. Momentum was the key, and this momentum helped break records. Gaining points and points and more points, a certain team had a very strong lead by the end of the day. And it might not be the one you’re thinking of.

Let’s get right into it, shall we?

Before the Games

Our commentators for the day are Erikawa Maiko and former U-Next Pirates player Asakura Koushin

After a brief review of what happened on Monday, we took a look at the standings.

The standings are quite close at the top, with the Beast X holding a slim 3.5pts lead over the Konami Mahjong Fight Club. However, neither the EX Furinkazan nor Team Raiden are out of the picture (like we saw with the Beast’s performance on Friday that sent them from 4th to 1st).

And with that, we were off!

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Intro | Game #11 | Game #12

Sometimes there are days where there are big swings in the standings. And then there are days when there is not much change between the start and the end of the day.

The fifth day, Games #9-10 of the M-League 2025-26 Finals, was the latter.

But, even though the standings didn’t shift, the day wasn’t useless. It showed off the skill of the players and gives some insight to their strategies. And as they analyze those strategies they (and fans) get to see if they pay off.

Let’s get right into it, shall we?

Before the Games

Our commentators for the day are Furuhashi Takashi and former Akasaka Drivens player Murakami Jun

After rewatching someof the highlights of Friday (and watching in awe of the Beast X’s comeback), we looked at the standings going into today.

Thanks to Beast X’s big gains on Friday, they are in the top spot, but the Konami Mahjong Fight Club isn’t far behind. The EX Furinkazan and Team Raiden are still in contention, but they have some more work to do.

After our players were inroduced and sat down in their seats, the first game of the day began!

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Intro | Game #9 | Game #10

Today, during Games #7-8 of the M-League 2025-26 Finals, monumental things happened. A big win and a big shift in the standings changed everyone’s expectations about these finals. And today proved that absolutely anything can happen in M-League.

Let’s get right into it, shall we?

Before the Games

Our two commentators are Kobayashi Misa and former Konami Mahjong Fight Club player Fujisaki Satoshi.

After the commentator introductions, we took a look at the standings going into today.

The Konami Mahjong Fight Club has a good lead over the rest of the pack, but a single 1st by any of the teams can shift the standings.

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Intro | Game #1 | Game #2

Into the second quarter of the M-League 2025-26 finals, Games #5-6, the quality of play was on display. Head-to-head battles and runaways, fighting for 1st place and those trying their best to keep their team in the mix. And even if the standings don’t move, the competition keeps getting hotter and hotter.

Let’s get right into it, shall we?

Before the Games

Our main commentator of the day is JPML’s Furuhashi Takashi. Joining him are Takeuchi Genta and Daigo Hiroshi of the Sega Sammy Phoenix.

Going into today, the Konami Mahjong Fight Club holds a good lead. The space between 1st and 2nd is about the same as 2nd and 3rd, with 4th place not far behind.

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Intro | Game #5 | Game #6

Tuesday is Day 2 of the M-League 2025-26 Finals, featuring Games #3-4 of this competitive competition.

During these two games, the key theme was the finish. In both games, players secured their 1st place spot after making comebacks near the end of the game. A good start might be good, but a strong finish can decide who will be the champion.

Let’s get right into it, shall we?

Before the Games

Erikawa Miko sits in the commentary booth, joined by Akasaka Drivens members Watanabe Futoshi and Asami Maki

After a rundown of the format, we took a look at the standings going into today.

The EX Furinkazan holds the lead they had going into the finals, widening it in the first day. The Konami Mahjong Fight Club is competitive for the spot, though, while the Beast X and Team Raiden lag behind.

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Intro | Game #3 | Game #4

After 330 games and almost 8 months of mahjong action, it all comes down to these final 16 games. After these upcoming 8 days of games are played, our M-League 2025-26 champion will be crowned.

In the first two games of the M-League 2025-26 Finals, we had explosive starts in both games. With a hidden honitsu and a comeback in the first and an unstoppable force in the second, we were in for a treat.

Let’s get right into it, shall we?

Before the Games

At the start, we were introduced to our two commentators: Hiyoshi Tatsuya and Tsuchida Kousho, one of the most famous duos in mahjong commentary.

After all four of our teams were introduced, we took a look at the standings.

The EX Furinkazan holds the top spot to start the finals, but with 4th place just 147.1pts away and a lot of direct hit opportunities available, it’s anyone’s game.

After our four players for the first game were introduced, we were off!

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Intro | Game #1 | Game #2