China’s Moonton Technology, the creator of the popular mobile game Mobile Legend: Bang Bang, is using the Esports World Cup in Paris as a launchpad to expand into the European market, setting a precedent for Chinese game developers to go global.
This year’s Esports World Cup, running from July 6 to August 23, is the first to be held outside the Middle East, after the previous two were hosted in Riyadh, due to regional instability prompting a change of venue. The event features 25 competitions across 24 games, with a total prize pool of $75 million. It is organized by the Esports Foundation, a non-profit supported by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
MLBB: From Southeast Asia to Europe
Mobile Legend: Bang Bang (MLBB), a multiplayer online battle arena game developed by Shanghai-based Moonton, is among the titles at the World Cup. Since its launch in 2016, it has consistently ranked among the top-grossing games in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia. Moonton reports more than 1.5 billion downloads worldwide and approximately 110 million active monthly users.
The latest MLBB event at the World Cup was the MLBB Women’s International, where France’s Team Vitality defeated Natus Vincere’s Philippines-based team 4-2 to win their fourth title. Meanwhile, Chinese club Saeta was eliminated in the quarter-finals.
Moonton’s approach to the European market hasn’t involved aggressive paid advertising; instead, their focus has been on community building—encouraging word-of-mouth and grassroots engagement. “We haven’t heavily invested in paid marketing, but we’re gradually seeing the game grow within communities—people start talking about it and playing,” said Ray Ng, head of esports ecosystem operations, during the event.
Europe’s mobile gaming audience is growing at about 5 to 15 percent annually, with the fastest growth in Eastern Europe, where younger users tend to prefer playing on phones over consoles or PCs. Ng noted that the recent World Esports Federation championship in Romania attracted over 200 registered teams in MLBB qualifiers—far surpassing expectations.
Moonton’s strategy in Europe is cautious: focusing first on community management and local tournaments before pursuing monetization. “Getting people involved in grassroots events helps cultivate a gaming habit,” Ng explained. He anticipates it could take five to ten years for the mobile-native generation to constitute the core European user base.
Istanbul as a Launching Point
If Europe is a long-term goal, Turkey is seen as an immediate stepping stone. Ng revealed that the M8 World Championship, MLBB’s main international event, will be held in Istanbul next January. This will be the first time in eight years that the M series finals are hosted outside Southeast Asia.
Istanbul was selected for two main reasons: Turkey has invested heavily in building its esports infrastructure and has produced consistent quarter-finalist teams at international tournaments. Additionally, its geographical position between Asia and Europe makes it an ideal strategic hub.
“We aim to use Turkey as a pathway to influence Europe gradually,” Ng said.
This approach follows a successful blueprint already proven in Southeast Asia. MLBB was designed from the start for international distribution, with a heavy emphasis on localization—adapting content to local cultures. “We applied what proved successful in Southeast Asia and replicated that model in Turkey and the Middle East,” Ng explained.
While Southeast Asian markets contribute significantly to MLBB’s user base, the United States and Europe are more critical for monetization. According to a report by China’s Game Publishing Committee, Chinese games generated $20.5 billion in overseas sales last year, representing a 10 percent increase. The U.S. accounted for 32 percent of that total, Japan and South Korea combined contributed 26 percent, and Germany, the UK, and France together made up 9 percent.