Two of Saudi Arabia’s biggest esports organizations, Twisted Minds and Team Falcons, have entered Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) esports by buying slots in the franchised MLBB Professional League (MPL) Philippines. This is a major move for MLBB esports and shows the growing influence of Saudi Arabia in the global ecosystem.
Image Credits: MOONTON
Twisted Minds and Team Falcons are set to compete in the MPL Philippines Season 15
Twisted Minds and Team Falcons both had MLBB rosters in the MENA region previously. Furthermore, this isn’t the first time Falcons will be seen in the MPL PH. Previously, they had partnered with AP Bren to compete in the region.
With this move, they are entering into the game’s biggest market, Southeast Asia, and a country that is arguably the most competitive. Notably, the Philippines has won all editions of the M World Championships except for one.
Today’s announcement comes after Blacklist International and RSG PH announced that they are leaving the MPL PH. It’s unclear which team’s slot got acquired by whom. Both organizations bid an emotional farewell to fans in social media posts.
The precise rosters for Team Falcons and Twisted Minds weren’t announced in the press release to the media.
“This partnership is aligned with our mission to expand further the ecosystem through overseas partnerships and forge a sustainable ecosystem that benefits our teams. We are also positive that this initiative could potentially position the Philippines as an attractive esports business hub and it could open doors for collaboration with organizations outside Southeast Asia,” said Matthew Chan, MOONTON Games PH Esports Head of Operations.
Esports orgs turn to MLBB for expansion
Image Credits: MOONTON
Twisted Minds and Team Falcons’ investment into MLBB esports within SEA comes as many international esports organizations turn their eye to the game to enter a new territory or expand their fanbase.
Falcons had already started this with their partnership with AP Bren. Both organizations had parted ways before today’s announcement.
Grant Rousseau, Team Falcons’ global director of esports, said, “After an initial test year with AP Bren, the organization now understands the market’s competitive nature, and we are ready to pick up our own franchise and team to compete and to win.”
Twisted Minds, on the other hand, doesn’t have as much of a global presence as its Saudi counterpart but has been quickly scaling up as the region becomes a hotspot for competitive gaming with events like the Esports World Cup.
“We want to expand overseas, especially in Asia, in the Philippines. We want to compete on the highest level in MLBB esports, and the Philippines is the right country to be in,” said Ibrahim Bin Jibreen, CEO and Founder of Twisted Minds.