City population
1.903m[2]
2024 POPCEN population of the City of Manila.
City
Manila
Manila is the Philippines' capital city and a professional Mobile Legends market, with a large Metro Manila audience base and arenas connecting league play to major entertainment venues.
Share this page
Updated October 18, 2026Market snapshot
Metro population
14.002m[2]
2024 population of the National Capital Region, providing the wider audience and labor-market context.
Recurring league
Season 17 began on 20 March 2026 and introduced Victoria Sports Tower as a home venue.
Arena footprint
MOA Arena[4]
SM Mall of Asia Arena is a major Metro Manila entertainment venue available for large-scale programming.
Local policy
A sourced operational overview, not legal advice. Requirements should be rechecked before launch.
TopicCurrent positionCommercial implication
Topic
Professional league venue model
Current position
Moonton announced Victoria Sports Tower as the new home venue for MPL Philippines Season 17.[3]
Commercial implication
League operators can use a dedicated home-venue model while retaining the option to scale selected stages into larger Metro Manila arenas.
Verified Sep 11, 2026
Topic
Metro Manila event capacity
Current position
SM Mall of Asia Arena is an established large entertainment venue in the same metropolitan market.[4][2]
Commercial implication
Audience, production and commercial plans should distinguish city-proper operations from the broader Metro Manila venue footprint.
Verified Sep 11, 2026
Market ecosystem
League platform
MPL Philippines is the city's principal recurring professional esports property.
MPL Philippines Season 17[3]
Venues and infrastructure
Victoria Sports Tower and MOA Arena represent different scales of league and entertainment operations.
Competitive teams
Teams with a structured location relationship to this city.
Events and competition
EventDateVenue
Date
Nov 14, 2025 – Nov 30, 2025
Date
Nov 23, 2023 – Dec 17, 2023
References21
- [1]City of Manila — City Government of Manila
- [2]2024 Census of Population and Housing — Philippine Statistics Authority
- [3]MPL Philippines Season 17 — Moonton Games
- [4]MOA Arena — SM Mall of Asia Arena
- [5]Manila skyline from The Bayleaf Hotel, May 2025 — Wikimedia Commons / Ralff Nestor Nacor
- [6]Honor of Kings International Championship 2025 — Honor of Kings Esports
- [7]Midea x 2025 Honor of Kings International Championship: A Celebration of Esports and Innovation — Midea Philippines
- [8]HomeBois x Black Shrew Esport (HBSE) Crowned The 2025 Honor of Kings International Champions, 2026 Esports Schedule Announced — Level Infinite / Tencent Games
- [9]SB19 becomes official music artist for Honor of Kings International Championship 2025 — GMA Integrated News
- [10]Anker Charging Powers 2025 Honor of Kings International Championship Official Gaming Charging Partnership — Anker Innovations
- [11]Honor of Kings International Championship 2025 — Liquipedia
- [12]S-Tier Tournaments — Honor of Kings Wiki — Liquipedia
- [13]MOONTON Games Esports — M Series history — MOONTON Games
- [14]决胜巅峰赛事历史 — MOONTON Games — MOONTON Games
- [15]AP Bren rises beyond greatness to score their second M Series Championship — MOONTON Games
- [16]The M5 World Championship introduces Wild Card format — MOONTON Games
- [17]AP Bren rises beyond greatness to score their second M Series Championship — official image — MOONTON Games
- [18]MOONTON Games reveal M5 World Championship venues and schedule — Inquirer.net
- [19]HomeBois and Team SMG represent Malaysia in the M5 World Championship 2023 in Manila — MOONTON Games
- [20]M5 group draw results: Which is the group of death? — ONE Esports
- [21]M5 World Championship Format Introduction — Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Esports
Work with Press The Game
Bring an opportunity to the table
Looking for media reach, industry insight or the right esports partner? Bring us your brief—we’ll help move it forward.
Related coverage
News and features
NewsOct 18, 2026
Riot Sets VCT 2027 Calendar Across 15 Cities and 50-Plus Tournaments
Riot's 2027 VALORANT Champions Tour calendar spans more than 50 tournaments and 15 cities, with regional Kickoff and Cup events, Masters in Seoul and València, and Champions and Game Changers Championship in Austin.
NewsSep 7, 2026
Team Liquid reported to begin third global workforce restructuring in a year
Team Liquid was reported to have begun a third global workforce restructuring within a year, even as its co-CEO has described the organization as profitable for three consecutive years.