Yesterday evening, the second week of the 2025 Esports World Cup kicked off in Riyadh, featuring the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women’s Invitational (MWI). This event marks a significant milestone in the competitive calendar, bringing together elite global stars in mobile gaming for the second consecutive year.
Since its release in 2016, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang has established itself as one of the leading esports titles worldwide, thanks to its international and regional tournaments that attract massive audiences. With over 110 million monthly active users, it has become one of the most popular mobile multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games globally.
This year’s edition is the largest in the tournament’s history, featuring 16 teams compared to 12 last year. Qualifiers were held across 57 regions worldwide, surpassing the previous record of 46 regions.
The participating teams in this edition include 16 squads from 13 global regions: Team Vitality, ONIC Pertiwi, Natus Vincere PH, Team Liquid, Natus Vincere MY, SFU Serendipity, Falcons Vega MENA, DreamMax Girls, Rising Rage, WAOW GG Esports, Virtus.pro FE, FUT Esports, Gaimin Gladiators, Twisted Minds Orchid, Tidal Legends Gaming, and Terror Queens.
The teams will compete for a total prize pool of $500,000, along with an additional $50,000 award for the best player, as well as 3,350 points in the Esports World Cup 2025 Club Championship race.
Saudi Arabia and Egypt are prominently represented by Twisted Minds Orchid and Falcons Vega MENA, both aiming for their first championship titles while carrying the hopes of their supporters for a historic achievement. Twisted Minds Orchid includes Saudi players “Lyrx,” “Lunar,” and “Livin,” while Falcons Vega MENA features five Egyptian players: “Velvet,” “Sunlight,” “Yui,” “Names,” and “Fvvn.”
The previous edition of the tournament witnessed one of its most thrilling moments when the Filipino team Smart Omega Empress pulled off a major upset by defeating the heavily favored Team Vitality, ending their three-year, 24-match winning streak in an intense final that drew over 265,000 online viewers, according to data from Esports Charts.
The defending champions, Natus Vincere PH, return this year to retain their title, while another Natus Vincere team with Malaysian players also competes. Both teams will face their historic rivals from Team Vitality, who have secured multiple victories since the last edition.
The head of MOONTON Games’ esports ecosystem stated, “Our goal with this innovative tournament goes beyond just competition. We aim to build a comprehensive and sustainable esports ecosystem, and regardless of it being the largest women’s tournament in the 2025 Esports World Cup, it also reflects our responsibility to set an example. We remain committed to providing women with opportunities to excel at all competitive levels.”
