Mobile Legends marks 10 years by giving back
MANILA, Philippines — Most birthday celebrations involve receiving gifts. For its 10th anniversary, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) decided to give some away instead.
As part of its global "ALL IN" anniversary campaign, Moonton Games spent the past month celebrating not just a decade of MLBB, but also the community that helped transform the title from a Southeast Asian mobile game into one of the world's biggest esports platforms.
That appreciation took different forms. At the game's anniversary celebration in Bonifacio Global City, fans were treated to free meals through the "#LibreNiMLBB" campaign, inspired by the Filipino tradition of treating friends and family during birthdays. Beyond the festivities, Moonton also strengthened its charitable efforts through community initiatives and a newly formalized partnership with the GMA Kapuso Foundation to support future disaster relief operations.
For the publisher, the initiatives reflected the message behind MLBB's 10th anniversary: the milestone belongs as much to the players as it does to the game itself.
"For 10 years, MLBB has grown with its players, and the Philippines has been an important part of that journey. This celebration is our ‘thank you’ to the Filipino community for the passion, creativity, and connections they have brought to MLBB," said Jay Wang, head of publishing, Philippines, at Moonton Games.
The community-first approach has become one of the defining characteristics of MLBB's growth in the Philippines.
Today, the game boasts more than 1.5 billion installations and 110 million monthly active users globally, but Moonton’s local marketing team attributes much of its longevity to a player base that has remained engaged through a decade of changes.
"One of the biggest factors talaga kung bakit successful ang MLBB for the past decade, it's because of our strong community. Currently, MLBB is not just a game. It's really part of our culture. It brings people together,” Alyssa Mae Calicdan, marketing lead of MLBB, Philippines at Moonton Games, told Philstar.com.
That relationship has evolved significantly over the years.
When MLBB's local team was largely limited to digital campaigns during the pandemic, engagement often came through livestreams and online content. As restrictions eased and the community grew, so did the scale of the company's initiatives.
"Looking back, we've tried different approaches over the years. Before, we were doing music videos. Then we shifted to producing short dramas. If the community wants on-ground events, we do on-ground events,” said Chai Gutierrez, marketing manager of MLBB, Philippines at Moonton Games.
The same philosophy shaped this year's anniversary campaign.
To reach fans who could not attend the main celebration at Market! Market!, MLBB deployed a roving anniversary truck across Metro Manila, bringing activities and appearances directly to players.
"Mayroong mga tao na hindi makakapunta dito sa mall. So we wanted to bring the celebration to them," added Gutierrez.
For Moonton, the game's greatest achievement is not measured by download numbers or tournament trophies, but by the relationships formed through it. The challenge now, after a decade, is ensuring that the community continues to grow whilst keeping the fanbase that have grown-up with them.
Many of the game's earliest players have become working professionals and parents. At the same time, a new generation continues to discover MLBB through mobile gaming and esports.
"Yung challenge sa amin right now is paano ba namin ibabalance yung long time players namin versus the new generation. Yun yung inaaral namin everyday. We do extensive research through our R&D. We know that the trends would change. It's constant. Magbabago talaga yan. Pero the core commitment talaga is kailangan MLBB will stay relevant. Relevant in a way that we can still cater to the previous generation and then the new generation,” said Calicdan.
That effort will continue to be guided by the same principle that has shaped MLBB's first decade: listening to the community.
"It's been ten years pero we're just getting started. We're very excited for what's coming next.
Kasi yun pa rin yung approach namin, listen to the community, because [that] approach is a long-term view, yung hyper-localization ng lahat ng gagawin namin. Because we believe that the community shapes the game. Lahat ng comments nila, kinokonsider namin because ang gusto namin mangyari is to evolve and shape the game through them." said Gutierrez.
MPL PH Season 18 playoffs heat up
While MLBB looked back on its first decade, the game's competitive scene continues to push forward.
The Mobile Legends Professional League (MPL) Philippines Season 18 playoffs opened yesterday with a pair of dramatic five-game series at the PhilSports Arena, with ONIC Philippines and Aurora Gaming PH surviving elimination scares to advance to the next stage.
Third-seeded ONIC Philippines outlasted TNC Pro Team, 3-2, behind standout performances from King "K1NGKONG" Perez and Frince "Super Frince" Ramirez, setting up an upper bracket semifinal clash against Team Falcons PH.
Aurora Gaming PH, meanwhile, rallied from a 1-2 deficit to eliminate Smart Omega in another five-game thriller. Dominic "Domeng" del Mundo earned MVP honors twice in the series as the Northern Lights secured a rematch against top-seeded Team Liquid PH, with the two teams having split their regular-season meetings.
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