Mobile Legends: Bang Bang

Officially Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB)

DOMINANT SOUTHEAST ASIAN MOBA developed by MOONTON (Shanghai; acquired by ByteDance 2021), released JULY 11, 2016 on iOS + Android. 5v5 mobile MOBA on 3-lane maps with 130+ heroes. FREE-TO-PLAY dominant in SEA + LATAM markets. 1B+ downloads. Massive esports scene: MLBB M-SERIES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP annual ($1M+ prize pool, in 2024 M6 held in Malaysia + Philippines). Dominant in Southeast Asian esports over LoL Wild Rift. Rivalry-heavy scene: Philippines (BLACKLIST, RSG), Indonesia (RRQ, ONIC), Malaysia (Team SMG), Singapore (RSG SG), Myanmar (Falcon Esports), Cambodia (Burn x Flash).

📐Mobile phone or tablet⏱~18 min🌤indoor

What is Mobile Legends: Bang Bang?

MOBILE LEGENDS: BANG BANG (MLBB) is a DOMINANT SOUTHEAST ASIAN MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) developed by MOONTON (Shanghai, China; acquired by BYTEDANCE for $4B in March 2021). Released JULY 11, 2016 on iOS + Android. 5v5 mobile MOBA on 3-lane maps (top/mid/bot) with jungle, following the League of Legends / Dota 2 formula but built for mobile touchscreen controls (auto-aim, tap-to-attack, virtual joystick). 130+ HEROES across 6 roles (Tank, Fighter, Assassin, Mage, Marksman, Support); each hero has 3-4 abilities + ultimate; heroes purchased with in-game currency (BP earned via play or DIA premium currency); ranked play free access to all heroes via rotation. Match length ~15-20 minutes (shorter than PC MOBAs). FREE-TO-PLAY with cosmetic skin monetization (Special, Elite, Epic, Legend, Collector, M-World tier skins). DOMINANT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA + LATAM MARKETS — reportedly outsells + outplays LoL Wild Rift + Arena of Valor in those regions. Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar are MLBB's core territories; also strong in Brazil + Mexico. 1B+ DOWNLOADS across app stores. LEGAL DISPUTE: Riot Games sued Moonton in 2017 alleging MLBB copied LoL heroes/design; case settled out of court 2018 (Moonton continued operating). MASSIVE ESPORTS SCENE: annual MLBB M-SERIES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ($1M+ prize pool since M2 2020) — M6 held Dec 2024 in Malaysia + Philippines. Also MPL (Mobile Legends Professional League) regional pro leagues in Philippines (MPL PH), Indonesia (MPL ID), Malaysia (MPL MY-SG-PH), Cambodia (MPL KH), Myanmar (MPL MM), Brazil (MPL BR), LATAM (MPL LATAM). MLBB was OFFICIAL MEDAL SPORT at 2019 + 2021 Southeast Asian Games (a first for esports at multi-sport event) + at 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. TOP TEAMS: BLACKLIST INTERNATIONAL (Philippines, M3 2022 champion), RSG PH (Philippines, M4 2023 champion), ONIC ID (Indonesia, M6 2024 champion), RRQ HOSHI (Indonesia), Team SMG (Malaysia), Falcon Esports (Myanmar), Fnatic ONIC. TOP PLAYERS: Wise (BLACKLIST PH), Yellyy (ONIC), Micophobia (RRQ), 4x MPL MVP Bennyqt, Alberttt (ONIC ID), R7 (Malaysia), Diablo (Philippines), Kelra (Philippines).

Quick facts

How it works

Objective

Destroy enemy Base (final structure). Push through 3 lanes destroying turrets. Team 5v5.

Rules

Basic rules

5v5 on 3-lane map with jungle
Standard MOBA layout.
6 hero roles: Tank, Fighter, Assassin, Mage, Marksman, Support
Draft/ban system in ranked.
Level up hero via minions + jungle + enemy kills
Hero level 1-15.
Purchase items with gold to power up hero
6 item slots per hero.
Destroy enemy turrets + inhibitors + finally Base
Win condition.
Ranked ladder: Warrior → Elite → Master → Grandmaster → Epic → Legend → Mythic → Mythical Glory
Season-based ranked.

Scoring

Objective-based; destroy enemy Base wins. Ranked star system for progression.

Action	Points
Destroy enemy turret/inhibitor	Map advantage + gold
Kill enemy hero	Gold + XP + tempo advantage
Destroy enemy Base	Match win
Ranked star gain/loss per match	Season rank progression
MPL/M-Series match wins	Bracket progression + prize

Win condition · Destroy enemy Base (or opponent surrenders).

Playing area

Called

Mobile phone or tablet

Dimensions

Phone/tablet touchscreen

iOS, Android only. Mobile-exclusive (no PC client officially).

Equipment

MLBB (FREE on iOS + Android)
No cost to play; skin monetization
Hero skins ($1-30 each, cosmetic)
Special, Elite, Epic, Legend, Collector, M-World tiers
Starlight monthly pass ($5)
Cosmetic + BP boost pass
Gaming phone recommended (ASUS ROG Phone, Black Shark, iPhone 15+)
High refresh rate improves competitive play

Strategies

Learn 3 heroes per role (rotate ban/pick)
Draft flexibility matters.
Roaming (map jungle + gank lanes) wins early
Junglers snowball advantages.
Objective control: Turtle → Lord → Enhanced Lord for map pressure
Jungle objectives decide games.
Vision control: ward + destroy enemy wards
Info wins fights.
Team fight positioning: tank front, DPS back, mage flank
Standard MOBA positioning.

Terminology

Roam / Support: Non-farm role; roams to gank + ward + peel.
Jungle / Jungler: Farms neutral camps; ganks lanes.
Turtle / Lord: Jungle objectives; Turtle early buff, Lord late-game push.
Mythic / Mythical Glory / Immortal: Top ranked tiers.
Meta hero: Current strongest heroes per patch.
Backdoor: Attack enemy Base while team distracts.
Recall: Teleport home to shop.
AFK: Away From Keyboard; disconnected player.
GG: Good Game (surrender or match end).
Bang Bang: Iconic MLBB catchphrase.

Major competitions

MLBB M-Series World Championship (annual, $1M+ prize pool)
annual · worldwide (SEA usually) · since 2019
MPL Philippines / Indonesia / Malaysia-Singapore / Cambodia / Myanmar (regional pro leagues)
seasonal (2 splits/year) · SEA · since 2018
MSC (Mobile Legends Southeast Asia Cup)
annual · SEA · since 2017
SEA Games 2019 + 2021 + Asian Games 2022 medal sport
biennial · Southeast Asia + Asia · since 2019

Where it is played

Governing bodies

Moonton (developer)
Founded 2014 · Shanghai, China
ByteDance (parent since March 2021)
Founded 2012 · Beijing, China
MLBB Esports (competitive management)
Founded 2019 · Southeast Asia

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

Wise (Danerie James Del Rosario, PH) — BLACKLIST INTERNATIONAL M3 champion + iconic support/roam
Yellyy (Kevin Josua Rustanto, ID) — ONIC ID M6 champion + world-class jungler
Micophobia (RRQ Hoshi, Indonesia) — Multiple MPL ID champion
Bennyqt (PH) — 4x MPL PH MVP
Alberttt (Albert Iskandar, ID) — ONIC ID midlaner
R7 (Ronald Roa, PH) — Team SMG midlaner
Diablo (Setsuna Ignacio, PH) — Legendary mage player
Kelra (KIA / Blacklist PH) — Legendary marksman

Learn this sport

beginner

1
Download MLBB free on phone
iOS + Android.
2
Complete tutorial + play casual matches
Learn basic mechanics.

intermediate

1
Play Ranked; aim for Mythic tier
Middle-tier competitive.
2
Watch MPL streams (Philippines/Indonesia strongest)
Learn top-level play.

advanced

1
Aim for Mythical Glory + Mythical Immortal
Top 1%.
2
Compete in scrims + Amateur MPL qualifiers
Path to pro.

Frequently asked

What is Mobile Legends: Bang Bang?+

DOMINANT SOUTHEAST ASIAN MOBILE MOBA by MOONTON (China; acquired by ByteDance 2021), released July 2016 on iOS + Android. 5v5 mobile MOBA on 3-lane maps with 130+ heroes. FREE-TO-PLAY dominant in SEA + LATAM markets. 1B+ downloads. Massive esports scene: MLBB M-SERIES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP annual ($1M+ prize pool). Dominant in Southeast Asian esports over LoL Wild Rift. Also OFFICIAL MEDAL SPORT at 2019 + 2021 SEA Games + 2022 Asian Games. Top teams: BLACKLIST, RSG PH, ONIC ID, RRQ, Team SMG.

MLBB vs Wild Rift vs Arena of Valor — which mobile MOBA?+

MLBB DOMINATES SOUTHEAST ASIA. Wild Rift (Riot's official League of Legends mobile) has quality + brand but LOSES to MLBB in SEA. Arena of Valor (Tencent's Honor of Kings western release) is #1 in China but small in SEA. RECOMMENDATION: Live in SEA (Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar) → PLAY MLBB (dominant playerbase, biggest esports). Live in China → HONOR OF KINGS ($ 2M+ tournaments). Live in West → Wild Rift is smallest of three; LoL PC still preferred. MLBB best mobile MOBA overall by player count + esports investment in 2026.

Sources & provenance

Moonton — MLBB— Moonton
Wikipedia — Mobile Legends: Bang Bang— Wikipedia

Last verified 2026-08-27.verified