- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) pioneers inclusivity at the inaugural Asian Esports Games (AEG), featuring as the first and only women’s esports tournament at the event.
- The AEG 2024 marked the debut of China’s MLBB women’s team at an international event in Southeast Asia where they made history coming in at third, clinching the country’s first-ever podium finish.
- The tournament preludes the 33rd Southeast Asian Games (2025) in Thailand, featuring MLBB men’s and women’s medalled events.
BANGKOK, THAILAND, 28 November – Indonesia emerged victorious at the recently concluded the Asian Esports Games (AEG) 2024, taking home gold in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) women’s tournament. The Indonesian team remained unbeaten throughout the tournament and secured a 4-2 victory in the Grand Finals after a series of back-and-forth game wins against the Philippines. This triumph underscores the role of female athletes in national representation on the global stage, highlighting their contribution to promoting inclusivity and competitive opportunities within the esports landscape.
The Indonesian team comprises Vivi “Vivian” Indrawaty, Venny “Fumi Eko” Lim, Viorelle “Vival” Chen, Cindy “Cinny” Siswanto, and Michelle “Chel” Siswanto from Team Vitality. Their victory today will be a step towards reclaiming their position as the Queens of MLBB women’s esports; Team Vitality had previously lost to the Filipino women’s team, Smart Omega Empress, at the MLBB Women’s Invitational (MWI) 2024.
MLBB shines spotlight on inclusivity in esports
The MLBB women’s tournament was the sole women’s esports event at the inaugural AEG; it affirms MOONTON Games’ role as a pioneer in championing women in esports. The tournament brought together 20 regional teams, from powerhouse nations like Indonesia and the Philippines, alongside debut teams from Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and Nepal, marking a record-breaking level of participation. The tournament brought together women athletes from around the region, giving them the opportunity to represent and bring pride to their nations through the power of esports.
The tournament saw a historic milestone, with the debut of China’s women’s team in a regional competition in Southeast Asia. The Chinese team clinched the third place in their first outing, marking China’s first ever podium-finish at an international MLBB tournament. The success of the Chinese women’s team underscores the growing competitiveness of women’s esports and highlights the transformative impact of MLBB in welcoming new regions to the global stage.
According to Esports Charts, the MLBB women’s tournament set a new benchmark with 326,080 Peak Concurrent Viewers (PCV), becoming the most-watched women’s esports competition of 2024. This achievement highlights the role that women play in uplifting the esports ecosystem and the increasing popularity of women’s esports.
Ray Ng, Head of Esports Ecosystem at MOONTON Games, said: “Indonesia have written themselves into AEG history by being its first MLBB champion, marking another milestone for women’s esports. Congratulations to them!”
He added: “MLBB is the only women’s esports title at the AEG 2024; this reflects our commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive platform for female esports athletes. Earlier this year, we hosted MWI 2024 at EWC 2024, offering the largest-ever prize pool for a women’s esports tournament at USD 500,000 on the world’s biggest esports stage. This was followed by the women’s tournament at the World Esports Championship (WEC) 2024, hosted in Riyadh, which saw participation from 49 nations. We’re excited to continue the momentum next year, and recently confirmed that MLBB will have a medalled women’s esports event at the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand. We will continue to build a foundation to ensure MLBB esports serves as a platform to empower the women’s ecosystem.”
Championing women’s esports at the 33rd SEA Games
The AEG 2024 showcased what the world can expect at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand, which saw MLBB unveiled as the headline esports event last month. MLBB will have both men’s and women’s medalled events, with its female athletes to receive equal recognition to their male counterparts – a reflection of MOONTON Games’ commitment to gender inclusivity in esports.
MOONTON Games and the Thailand E-sports Federation (TESF) will work together to unlock economic and tourism opportunities for Thailand through esports, with a joint focus in areas like marketing, athlete development, and community engagement.
The 32nd SEA Games saw MLBB set records for the most-watched esports events in SEA Games history; the men’s category recorded a 1,462,871 PCV while the women’s category had 1,367,274 PCV, according to Esports Charts.
