On Oct. 31, the Ulaanbaatar stop of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) East Asia Championship Tour (MCT EA), hosted by MOONTON Games and co-hosted by a Mongolia-based esports operator, Esports Network (ESN), concluded at M Bank Arena in Ulaanbaatar. In the lower-bracket final, Mongolia’s The MongolZ defeated China’s DFYG 3–0 to reach the Grand Final. The final used a newly introduced “Immortality Armour” mechanic, giving the upper-bracket winner an additional chance to recover. Against China’s GZG, The MongolZ erased the deficit and moved ahead, becoming the first to reach four game wins and trigger an “Armour Break.” It went on to win 5–3, take the title and qualify for the M8 World Championship Main Stage. DFYG and GZG finished second and third, respectively, and qualified for the M8 Wild Card. The six-team field also included MIO AHP of Mongolia, Zero Gravity of South Korea and Tokyo Cinnamon of Japan.[1][2][3]
Following the Shanghai stop in the first half of the year, MCT EA held its first event in Mongolia. The Ulaanbaatar stop was also the first MCT EA tournament connected to the M Series World Championship qualification system, linking local competitions across East Asia with the international stage. The champion advanced directly to the M8 Main Stage, scheduled for Istanbul, Türkiye, in January 2027. The runner-up and third-place team will travel to Bangkok, Thailand, for the M8 Wild Card in December 2026. Ten teams will compete for three Main Stage places at the Wild Card; those qualifiers will join the direct entrants to form a 16-team Main Stage field.[1][2]
For East Asia, this creates a clearer development route from domestic competition to regional contests and then the world stage. Local tournaments such as China Masters give players opportunities to qualify and develop. MCT EA lets teams from different markets meet, compete and gain international experience, while M8 gives regional qualifiers the chance to face teams from around the world. As the pathway develops, more East Asian players can carry their domestic form into global competition.
MOONTON Games East Asia esports lead Slim said: “From Shanghai to Ulaanbaatar, MCT EA brings strong teams from different East Asian markets together to exchange and compete on one stage, while making the route to international competition clearer for players. Through sustained regional tournaments, we hope to connect local talent development more closely with the global MLBB esports system, giving more players the chance to gain international experience and demonstrate their ability. We thank ESN, all our partners, participating teams and viewers for their support, and congratulate the teams that qualified for M8. We look forward to seeing them take the experience and confidence they gained in Ulaanbaatar to the world stage and show the strength of East Asian esports. We will continue to improve the competition system with partners in each market, support player development and enable more markets to take part in and contribute to global MLBB esports.”[1]
As an important part of MOONTON’s global esports system, MCT EA works with local event operators to connect domestic competitions with the M Series World Championship and build a qualification route to the global stage for East Asian players. From Shanghai to Ulaanbaatar, MCT EA links local teams, partners and esports communities to a competition network spanning five regions: Southeast Asia, East Asia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and the Americas. The release says the circuit strengthens regional competition while extending MOONTON’s global esports footprint.[1][3]
MLBB esports is also expanding into new host markets and competitive regions. In 2026, the MLBB Mid Season Cup (MSC) and MLBB Women’s International (MWI), formerly the MLBB Women’s Invitational were held in Paris for the first time. In January 2027, M8 will bring the M Series World Championship to Europe for the first time. Team Spirit, from the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region, won this year’s MSC, becoming the first team from outside Southeast Asia to win an official MLBB international tournament. The release presents new host markets and a broader range of title contenders as signs of the continued development of MLBB esports and MOONTON’s international expansion.[1][3]
From Ulaanbaatar, the three East Asian qualifiers will continue their campaigns in Bangkok and Istanbul. As regional tournaments become more closely connected to world championships, MOONTON says it will continue working with partners in each market to develop the competition system, support players and broaden participation in global MLBB esports.[1]
PTG note: This article reproduces a MOONTON Games press release supplied to PTG. The English and Mongolian editions are PTG translations. The five images were supplied with the release; their original image URLs were not provided.
