SEA Games 2025: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Brings Esports Frenzy to Thailand

The world’s most popular mobile esports title will feature men’s and women’s medalled competitions at the biennial multi-sporting event, in collaboration with the Thailand E-Sports Federation (TESF)

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) has been announced as the headline esports event at the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand. As the world’s most popular mobile esports title, MLBB will feature both men’s and women’s competitions, with medals up for grabs. This marks the fourth consecutive time MLBB is a medalled sport at the biennial multi-sport event. MLBB also holds the record for the most-watched esports event in SEA Games history, with the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia drawing 1,462,871 Peak Concurrent Viewers (PCV) for the men’s category and 1,367,274 PCV for the women’s category, according to Esports Charts.

The 33rd SEA Games will take place from December 9 to 20, 2025, across Bangkok, Chonburi, and Songkhla, welcoming participants from the 11 Southeast Asian nations: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor, and Vietnam.

Ray Ng, Head of Esports Ecosystem at MOONTON Games, emphasized the success of MLBB’s strategy to make the competitive esports ecosystem accessible and inclusive. “International sporting events like the SEA Games provide esports players, organizations, and federations with a globally recognized platform to bring glory to their nations. MLBB’s return as a medalled event is another step forward for esports, which is increasingly embraced by both the Thai and global sporting communities as a legitimate competitive sport.”

MOONTON Games, the developer and publisher of MLBB, also announced a partnership with the Thailand E-Sports Federation (TESF) to unlock economic and tourism opportunities for Thailand. The collaboration will include joint marketing efforts, player development initiatives, community engagement activities, and the sharing of insights and analytics.

Ray further commented, “The inclusion of MLBB as a medalled sport in the 33rd SEA Games is a major milestone for us in Thailand. We’ve seen tremendous growth in the local esports scene, especially among women players. We’re excited to continue working with TESF to support the thriving Thai esports community, building on initiatives like the Asian Esports Games (AEG) in Bangkok later this year.”

Santi Lothong, President of TESF, added, “Thailand is one of Southeast Asia’s most developed esports markets, but there’s still vast potential for growth. Collaborations with game companies are key to realizing this vision. We’re grateful for MOONTON Games’ support in helping us create opportunities for aspiring talents to represent their countries on the international stage.”

At the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia, the Philippines claimed gold in the men’s tournament, while Indonesia won gold in the women’s competition. The women’s tournament remains the most-watched women’s esports event of all time, according to Esports Charts.

Further details regarding the competing teams and competitive formats will be announced soon.

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