MOONTON Games and Smart Communications have teamed up again for Season 8 of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League Philippines (MPL-PH), the country’s largest mobile esports league. MPL-PH Season 8 starts on Aug. 27 with the match between ONIC PH and Echo Philippines (formerly Aura PH) at 6 PM Philippine Standard Time.

As the official telco partner of MPL-PH Season 8, Smart will enable fans to watch the action-packed matches on Smart’s Facebook page. Fans can also expect exciting promos, skin giveaways, exclusive updates, and freebies. Eight teams are set to duke it out in a round-robin format for a shot at the championship. Apart from ONIC PH and Echo Philippines, these teams include Blacklist International, Bren Esports, RSG PH, Nexplay Evos (formerly Nexplay Esports), TNC Pro Team (formerly Work Auster Force), and Smart Omega.

Growth of mobile esports

“We are very happy to partner with MOONTON once again for another exciting season of MPL-PH. We go as far back as 2016 and together, we’ve seen the tremendous growth of Mobile Legends and esports in our country, turning from just a hobby to a legitimate sports whose viewership and fandom now compare to big sports events like basketball and volleyball. We have also witnessed how Filipino esports athletes developed and made their mark not just here but also in the international arena,” said Smart FVP/Group Head, Corporate Marketing & Strategy Lloyd Manaloto in a press statement.

Prior to MPL-PH Season 8, Smart and MLBB developer MOONTON Games teamed up for the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Southeast Asia Cup in June, where two Filipino teams — Execration and Blacklist International — rose to the top with the former bagging the championship, edging out 10 of the best teams from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Smart and MOONTON Games have also partnered for the previous MPL-PH seasons and made strategic collaborations to delight mobile gamers and fans since half a decade ago, betting on a bright future for mobile games and esports.

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is the most popular mobile multiplayer online battle arena game worldwide that brings communities together through teamwork and strategy. With over one billion installations and 100 million active monthly users, the award-winning game is among the Top 10 most played in over 80 countries. With an extensive reach across the Asia Pacific region, the multiplayer is available in 139 countries with an expansive global esports presence.