Chinese game developer MOONTON announced on Monday that it is launching an official Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) competitive circuit in Brazil. The MLBB Professional League Brazil (MPL Brazil) will kick off on July 16 with open qualifiers. With a $30,000 USD prize pool, the main event will be held in August and September and will feature two teams from open qualifiers and six invited organizations. Finals are set to happen in October.
MOONTON Director of Regional Esports Partnerships Ajay Jilka tells The Esports Observer that the company’s venture into the Brazilian market is in tune with the company’s growth plans. “We are seeing the game has a lot of traction in Brazil, we have a steady base of users there,” he said, adding that it compares to “some small Asian markets.”
MLBB is immensely popular in Southeast Asia. The region is responsible for 67% of the more than 400 million downloads of the game as of February 2021, according to data from Sensor Tower. In March, MOONTON also announced an MPL circuit for Singapore.
Another reason pointed out by Jilka to step into Brazil is “the passion of the community.” Brazil indeed has a strong mobile community as this gaming platform is more accessible when compared to consoles or PC. Garena’s Free Fire is an example of the success of mobile gaming in the country, having reached over 60 million views in its official local league in 2020. Riot Games is also watchful of Brazil regarding mobile gaming: Wild Rift’s Global Head of Esports is Leo Faria, a Brazilian who has worked in the company since 2016. Jilka says the entrance of MOONTON in the market was taken after deep research on local customer habits, environment, and growth potential.
Jilka told TEO that the investments of MOONTON in Brazil will not be limited to one single event. Without disclosing financial details, the director highlights that the company will seek to structure and develop a strong Mobile Legends: Bang Bang scene in the country. MOONTON currently counts on marketing and esports divisions on spot.
The MPL Brazil, according to Jilka, will feature important – although still unrevealed – esports organizations in its local competitive circuit, as he has been speaking with owners and investors in the past months. The games will be streamed through Facebook, Huya-owned Nimo TV, YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok, which also signs in as a partner of the event. Both TikTok and MOONTON are owned by the Chinese technology company ByteDance.
