MANILA: Philippine competitors are preparing for next month’s Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia, where they aim to defend a title in an all-female tournament of one of the most popular mobile multiplayer strategy games.
Set to take place in Riyadh from July 7 to Aug. 24, the upcoming Esports World Cup will be the globe’s largest esports festival, featuring $70 million in prize money, and 25 professional tournaments.
The event is a part of Saudi Arabia’s broader Vision 2030 strategy to diversify the economy — also by investing heavily in sports and tourism.
Four Philippine teams will be competing in the championship’s MLBB category.
MLBB, or Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, is a free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena game by Chinese developer Moonton. It is one of the world’s most popular mobile esports games, especially in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.






