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New Straits Times
10-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Moonton to help Malaysian gamers win first MLBB gold at Sea Games
KUALA LUMPUR: Moonton Games and the Malaysia eSports Federation (MESF) today (May 10) signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) aimed at boosting Malaysia's gold medal prospects at the Thailand Sea Games in December. The publisher of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) will provide financial support to MESF to organise qualifying tournaments and select the nation's top eSports athletes to represent Malaysia in Thailand. "This MoA is designed to enhance Malaysia's chances of emerging as the No. 1 team on the international stage, starting with the Sea Games in Thailand," said Moonton's Malaysia eSports Lead, Fikri Rizal Mahruddin, during a press conference at Juara Stadium, Bukit Kiara. "We will be providing MESF with financial assistance to fulfil two key responsibilities. "First, to conduct qualifying activities to identify the best male and female players to represent the country in the MLBB tournament in Bangkok. Second, MESF will provide official assets such as photographs and visuals of the national teams during the Games." MESF president Naim Al Amin Saharudin said the national squad would be drawn from the top two teams in the MLBB Professional League Malaysia (MPL MY). "We will shortlist 20 players who will be invited to attend a boot camp," he said. "Selection will not be based solely on performance. We will also assess their discipline, commitment, national spirit, and patriotism. "Our aim is to ensure that those chosen to represent the nation are driven by pride and a sense of duty. They are playing for the country, not just for themselves." MLBB will be the centrepiece of the eSports competition in Bangkok, with two gold medals up for grabs in the men's and women's events. Malaysia have yet to win gold in MLBB since its Sea Games debut in Manila in 2019. At the 2023 edition in Phnom Penh, the men's team claimed silver while the women's squad took home bronze. Dr. Yew Weng Kean delivered Malaysia's last Sea Games gold medal in eSports when he won the Hearthstone event at the 2019 Manila Games.
New Straits Times
21-04-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
MOONTON to seek team owners' views on proposed changes
KUALA LUMPUR: MOONTON Games, the developer of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and organiser of MLBB Malaysia Professional League (MPL MY), will soon engage with team owners regarding plans to transition the league into a franchise model. Two weeks ago, MOONTON revealed that MPL MY could soon adopt the franchising system as part of its long-term growth strategy. MPL MY has been operating under a promotion and relegation format, unlike its regional counterparts — Indonesia which adopted the franchising model in 2019, and the Philippines in 2021. Under a franchising format, the league shares a portion of revenue from sponsorships, ticket sales, broadcast rights, and the sale of in-game items with participating teams. At present, MPL MY teams generate their own revenue streams through merchandise sales, sponsorships, and prize winnings. MOONTON's Malaysia Esports Lead, Fikri Rizal Mahruddin, said: "Transitioning to a franchised league is not a decision we take lightly. However, considering the growth and impact of eSports in Malaysia, we believe it is a necessary step. "We will look to our sister leagues in Indonesia and the Philippines for reference, because developing a franchise league is no small feat. Whatever decision we make for MPL MY must ultimately benefit Malaysians. "We are also studying traditional sports leagues such as the National Basketball Association (NBA), which have long operated under a franchise model. "If and when franchising is implemented, MPL MY would be the first franchise league in Malaysia. It could serve as a blueprint or case study for traditional sports leagues to examine and assess whether this model suits the Malaysian sporting landscape. Fikri added that MOONTON plans to engage the broader community — including fans, streamers and government stakeholders — to gather input on the proposed move. Timesport previously reported that team owners were generally supportive of the franchising concept but were awaiting greater clarity — particularly on the proposed franchise league's financial structure — as this would significantly influence their decision to compete in it.
