This edition's highlights:

• Learn how realme doubled consumer interest for its flagship realme 15 Pro with the M7 World Championship

• TMPL Indonesia becomes official "Creative Playground"—partnering with Tale X with support from the Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency (Ekraf)

• MLBB's "Two Champions, One Game" vision for the 2026 Esports World Cup to reshape women's esports

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Top News 📰

MPL Indonesia a "Creative Playground" to drive Indonesia's creative economy and global IP growth 🕹️

MPL Indonesia is now officially recognized as a "Creative Playground" for Indonesia's creative economy, following a landmark MoU with Tale X. This initiative, supported by Indonesia's Ministry of Creative Economy (Ekraf), highlights the country's strategic approach to esports—positioning it as an engine for creative industry growth, national representation, and cultural export.

With this partnership, six Indonesian-developed IPs will be introduced into the MPL Indonesia ecosystem—bridging the gap between creative production and large-scale distribution. By embedding Indonesian IPs into one of the country's most-watched esports platforms, the initiative creates new pathways for creative works to scale globally.

Irene Umar, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency, said: "The M7 beautifully demonstrated how traditional cultural performances can intertwine with the gaming world... This season, MPL has boldly declared, 'This Is Indonesia.' Therefore, I hope we can all continue to collaborate together. One of the concrete steps we are taking today is the official designation of MPL as a 'Creative Playground' for Indonesia."

Joshua Budiman, Co-founder and Director of Tale X, added: "MPL Indonesia is not just a league. It is an ecosystem that connects gaming with our local creative economy. Through this collaboration, our local IPs are not only showcased but streamed to mass audiences across the world, creating real value across content, brands, and commercial partnerships."

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Partnership Spotlight 🤝

From phone to fanfare: The M7 unlocks realme's gaming potential on the world stage 🌍⚡

What does it look like when a smartphone brand finds its perfect stage in the world of esports? For realme, it meant a 100% increase in search traffic in Indonesia for the realme 15 Pro against previous product launches. Learn how a partnership with MLBB Esports—powered by its massive youth audience—drove tangible business outcomes for the world's fastest-growing smartphone brand.

Endorsement from the world's best

The partnership set out to drive brand awareness amongst the youth—a demographic passionate about gaming and device performance. Making their mark at the Opening Ceremony, the brand presented the realme 15 Pro as the Official Gaming Phone of the M7. Endorsed by the world's top MLBB's teams, the message to fans was a powerful statement: the best players in the world use realme on mobile esports' biggest stage.

Plugging realme into 20,000+ gamers 🎪

At the heart of the M7 Grand Finals in Jakarta, realme transformed a two‑story pop‑up booth into the tournament's most vibrant branded destination. This interactive playground gave over 20,000 gamers hands‑on access to the realme 15 Pro through dedicated 5v5 Mabar (friendly competition) areas. From 360° video booths to shooting ranges and Lucky Spin Wheels, every touchpoint turned engagement into entertainment for the passionate MLBB Esports community.

Elevating brand prestige through championship moments 🏆

When Dylan Aaron 'Light' P. Catipon from Aurora Gaming PH (RORA) received the Finals Most Valuable Player award, the co‑branded FMVP Trophy transformed the championship moment into a brand elevation opportunity. Broadcast to 5.68 million fans, the presentation demonstrated how such moments create powerful brand storytelling—ingraining realme in the M7's most celebrated achievement.

Beyond the competitive arena

The partnership extended its impact through two co‑created media programs that celebrated technology and storytelling in esports: the M7 Awards for Best Media and the MLBB Media Championship (MMC). These initiatives placed media partners at the heart of MLBB's flagship tournament, showcasing how brands can power innovation in both gameplay and content creation.

The MMC, powered by realme, gave media representatives firsthand insight into the competitive dynamics that drives MLBB Esports. Eight onsite media teams competed for prizes while experiencing the technical side of competitive play, creating authentic content that resonated across their platforms. Alongside the MMC, realme supported the inaugural M7 Awards for Best Media—a program that recognized excellence in storytelling and journalism. The prize presentation was integrated into the live broadcast, giving realme direct exposure to a global audience while supporting the media community that amplifies esports stories.

The doubled consumer interest for the realme 15 Pro in Indonesia illustrates how comprehensive integration within MLBB Esports' ecosystem translates into measurable audience response. Each activation—from elite player endorsement to immersive fan experiences and championship integration—allowed the brand's narrative to resonate naturally with the audience. The partnership represented a cohesive approach to brand integration within esports' cultural fabric—demonstrating how authentic connections drive meaningful impact.

Interested in exploring how to power the next chapter of gaming and esports? Get in touch with us today!

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Feature Stories 📰

MLBB unveils "Two Champions, One Game" vision through MWI rebrand and expanded MSC at 2026 Esports World Cup 🌍

MOONTON Games has unveiled its "Two Champions, One Game" vision for MLBB at EWC 26. Now in its third consecutive year at the event, MLBB introduces the rebranded MLBB Women's International (MWI) and the expanded MLBB Mid Season Cup (MSC). Together, the two tournaments stand as parallel world championships, with MWI elevated alongside MSC as an equal pillar of MLBB's international mid-season circuit.

The rebranded MWI (formerly the MLBB Women's Invitational) marks a new era for women's esports as it transitions into a fully-realised global championship. At EWC 26, MWI will stage its largest edition to date, with open qualifiers spanning over 60 regions. This edition will also see the debut of MWI's Western Europe qualifiers as the tournament broadens its competitive footprint.

Ray Ng, Head of Global Esports Ecosystem at MOONTON Games, said: "MWI's evolution into the MLBB Women's International reflects where the ecosystem is today. What began as an invitational has evolved into a global qualification pathway, with our women's teams earning their spots through regional qualifiers since 2024. This growth has taken MWI from a regional initiative to a global tournament, and the rebrand reflects the impact it now has. Today, MLBB accounts for four of the five most-watched women's esports events of all time, underscoring the strength of our community."

Alongside this, MSC returns with expanded global representation by introducing qualification pathways for teams from India, Thailand, South Korea and Western Europe for the first time. These developments underscore MOONTON Games' commitment to giving more athletes access to the world's largest esports stage.

Ray added: "As we mark 10 years of MLBB later this year and nine years of building its competitive esports ecosystem, our focus has shifted to how we define competition at the global level. "Two Champions, One Game" reflects a deliberate decision to place both MSC and MWI on the same competitive footing, with equal championship status on the world stage. It is about building a single, unified esports narrative where success is defined by performance, not category."

According to Esports Charts, EWC 25 delivered record-breaking viewership across both MLBB tournaments. MSC emerged as the most-watched tournament in the event's history and the first to surpass 3 million Peak Concurrent Viewers (PCV). Meanwhile, MWI delivered its strongest performance to date, reaching 496,995 PCV and becoming the first women's tournament in history to surpass 100,000 Average Concurrent Viewers (ACV).

Upcoming events 🗓️

• May to July: MLBB Professional League (MPL) circuit (First half)

• July to August: MLBB Mid Season Cup (MSC) and MLBB Women Invitational (MWI)

• August to December: MLBB Professional League (MPL) circuit (Second half)

• September to October: 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026

• November: Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026

• December: MLBB Championship Tour

• Early 2027: M8 World Championship

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