MPL China? The biggest mobile esports tournament in Southeast Asia might expand to China soon.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) is currently one of the most played mobile MOBAs in the world. Due to its popularity, the game’s esports scene has also seen a sudden surge in fans. In fact, more esports fans watched MLBB than Dota 2 last year, according to Esports Charts.
This year, things might become even more exciting, as Moonton is preparing to officially launch Mobile Legends: Bang Bang in China this year. With the game’s release comes a possibility of a potential MPL China, MLBB’s official esports league.
MLBB will be released in China this year, based on these leaks
Rumors first broke out after hesketh2, a Liquipedia staff, tweeted that Bytedance is internally testing a Chinese version of MLBB called “Win the Peak,” last year.
There have also been pictures circulating online of some heroes, whose appearances have been altered in its Chinese MLBB version, though nothing has been confirmed yet by Moonton.
If Mobile Legends were to be released in the country, it will be competing with some of its biggest competitors in the mobile esports space such as Tencent’s Honor of Kings, a popular mobile title in China since 2015, and League of Legends: Wild Rift, which debuted in 2021.
Mobile Legends’ growth and the potential for an MPL China
An MPL China will be a game changer in the region. According to Statista, China’s gaming revenue was more than US$47 billion last year, with mobile games taking up over 76 percent of the market share.
The report also stated that there were 656 million mobile gamers in the region alone last year, making it the perfect place to attract aspiring future MLBB stars.
With the rising success of MLBB’s esports scene in Brazil, Cambodia, and MENA, adding China to the list might actually be one of the best decisions Moonton will do for their already successful esports scene.
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