The M-League 2024-25 Final Series start on May 5! Today, we will be taking a look at all the information you need to know about the upcoming M-League Finals.
The Teams
Akasaka Drivens
U-Next Pirates
Sega Sammy Phoenix
Team Raiden
The Format
The team’s final score from the semifinals will be cut in half (rounded up to the nearest tenth) and will be carried over to the finals (shown below). Each team will then play a total of sixteen (16) games. Whichever of the four teams has the most points by the end of the sixteen games will be M-League champions.
The scores going into the finals (after being halved)
The Schedule
Games will take place on May 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 15 and 16 and will be broadcasted on the ABEMA TV Mahjong Channel. Each broadcast will begin at starting at 19:00 JST (UTC +9), with the exception of the 16th when it will start at 17:00 JST to accomodate the Awards Ceremony. Each day will consist of two (2) games.
The Prizes
The Championship Plate on its pedestalThe U-Next Pirates winning the ￥50,000,000 prize in the M-League 2023-24 Season
The winning team will win the M-League Championship Plate, as well as receive 50 million yen. The second place team will receive 20 million yen, while the third place team will receive 10 million yen.
As the final hand finished on May 1, so did the M-League 2024-25 semifinals. With the final hand finished, the four teams that will advance to the finals were decided. As the final hand finished, dreams were made (and crushed) and preparations were made for what the future held.
In the final six games of the M-League 2024-25 semifinals, teams fought hard for a spot in the finals. In particular, the battle between Team Raiden and the Konami Mahjong Fight Club for 4th place was anybody’s guess. Who got that final spot? Who finished in 1st place? There are a lot of questions to answer, so let’s get right into it, shall we?
As we finish the third week of the M-League 2024-25 Semifinals, we reach 4/5ths of the way through. As the end nears, the goals become closer. From teams trying to reach the top to teams aiming for the final finals spot, every single point, every single game matters.
In Games #19-24 of the M-League 2024-25 Semifinals, we had some expensive quick wins, some cool traps, and a team that went double 4th to recover with a spectacular double 1st.
As we enter the third week of the M-League 2024-25 semifinals, we are officially more than halfway through. And as the halfway mark is hit, days and games until the end are being counted. For those struggling, time is running out.
Over the past three game days, we’ve had a double duty daily double, a struggling player getting their team’s first 1st place and decisive South 4 shaking up the standings.
There’s a lot to get into, so let’s get right into it, shall we?
On April 16, 2025, the EX Furinkazan announced that they will be dropping Matsugase Takaya (松ヶ瀬隆弥) and Nikaido Rumi (二階堂瑠美) as players, with Rumi taking on a new role on the team. They also announced that they will hold a draft audition to determine who will fill one of the vacant spots on the team.
Matsugase was drafted in the M-League 2021-22 after winning the first-ever EX Furinkazan New Member Audition. In his first two seasons, he took 5th and 7th spot, respectively, in the individual standings. However, he ended up in 36th place individually during the 2023-24 season and 32nd place in the 2024-25 season. He also ended up dealing into a kokushi on the team’s last day of the season.
In a Tweet, Matsugase described the past four years with the team as motivating and magnificent.
Rumi was drafted in the M-League 2021-22 season, joining her younger sister Aki on the EX Furinkazan. She helped the team get to two finals and broke the league’s almost 17-month yakuman drought on December 5, 2024 by winning a suuankou. However, she has only had one positive season and finished the most recent season in 33rd place individually.
In addition, Rumi has been facing health challenges since the mid-season and played only three games in 2025. To focus on her health, the team requested that she drop as a player but take on a new role on the team, which she has accepted. The exact details and title of the new role is unknown, but she will take part in team events as she is able to.
Audition
In addition, the team will be hosting an audition to see to determine one player that will be picked at the next draft (the other vacant spot will be chosen separately).
Semifinals
The audition semifinals will take place on June 15 and June 21 and will involve the following players:
The finals will be three games long and will be broadcast on the ABEMA Mahjong Channel starting at 15:00 JST.
The M-League Watch team would like to wish Matsugase the best in his future mahjong endeavours and Rumi the best of health and luck in her new position.
As we enter the second week of the semis, things are starting to heat up. With every game, every hand, the chance to move up in the game, a chance to move up in the standings. And as each game finishes, a sense of accomplishment, pride, helplessness, pain and sorrow fills the hearts of players and fans alike.
In Games #7-12 of the M-League 2024-25 semifinals, we had some big wins, some great South 4 comebacks and some incredible ura 3 moments.
After a week break, the M-League 2024-25 Semifinals are finally here! Six teams compete for four spots in the finals and a chance to become the next M-League champions.
In the first six games, things were fierce right off the bat. We had a lot of ippatsu calls and a potential double riichi battle on Monday, an impressive baiman comeback on Tuesday, and a cool daily double on Thursday to shake up the standings.
There’s a lot to get into, so let’s get right into it, shall we?
Mahjong Food Competition: Team ver. Results
On March 29, 2025, the Mahjong Food Competition: Team ver. was broadcast on ABEMA.
On Table A, Team “e” headed by Okada Sayaka had Asakura Koushin and Sano Hinako getting a total of 55,200, beating out Team “m” (headed by Suzuki Taro with Tojo Rio and Tomoshige competing) who only got 44,800
On Table B, a 1st and 2nd by Ishibashi Nobuhiro and Oomura Tomohiro gave Matsugase’s Team “n” a big 79,800 total, beating out Takizawa’s Team “u” of Uotani Yuumi and Oosaki who only got 20,200.
On the final table, Team “e’ finished victorious with a 56,500 total. With the win, the team received 1,000,000 yen worth fo menu delivery vouchers.
All games, including past menu specials, can be watched for free on the ABEMA Mahjong Channel.
For each of the 36 players, there is a team pose photo and an in-game photo available. Bromides can be printed in the “L” size for 300 yen, or the “2L” size for 500 yen.
The semifinals are starting next week on Monday, April 7! Today, we’ll take a look at the teams that will be advancing to the semis and figure out what they will need to do to succeed.
In the news release, it was noted that Daisuke does well in conveying the Beast playstyle with his daisangen and Highest Hanchan award, and that Nakada’s mahjong skills are improving and her ability to spread mahjong to the world is indispensable. They also thanked Sarukawa for his role as team captain and Sugawara in her competitiveness and cheerfulness.
The decision comes after the Beast X finished the 2023-24 season in 7th place with -378.7pts, then finished the 2024-25 season in 9th place with -1143.6pts, failing to make the semifinals in both seasons. Due to M-League regulations, a team that fails to make the semifinals two seasons in a row with the same roster will be forced to change at least one player.
With the two vacancies in the Beast X roster, the team will have two draft picks in the M-League 2025-26 Draft. The Beast X have announced that one spot will be chosen normally, while the other will be chosen in the Beast X Member Replacement Audition.
The Beast X Member Replacement Audition will feature Sarukawa and Sugawara, as well as four other players, competing in a 6-player league-style tournament for a spot on the team. The audition will be broadcast on the BS10 channel and streamed on the Japanet Connect (つながるジャパネット) app. Details about the players, format and dates will be announced in a future Beast Road episode (Beast X’s weekly show broadcast every Sunday).
The M-League Watch team would like to wish Sarukawa and Sugawara the very best in the member audition and in their future endeavours.
M-League Watch 