Games of the Future 2026 Announces Mobile Legends: Bang Bang MOBA Mobile Tournament in Astana

The Games of the Future (GOTF) has announced that Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) will feature in its MOBA Mobile event in Astana. The tournament will include sixteen teams invited by GOTF, who will compete for the US$900,000 prize pool.

The lineup includes returning competitors from GOTF 2025 and new challengers making their Games of the Future debut. The sixteen teams set to compete are:

• Bumblebees
• Bigetron
• PRO Esports
• Geekay Esports
•  Aurora
• Bushido Wildcats
• Team Spirit
• FUT Esports
•  Alpha7 Esports
• Entity7
• DFYG
• The MongolZ
•  Falcons
• Team Vamos
• ONIC
• Selangor Red Giants

This summer, MLBB returns to the Games of the Future for a second consecutive year, bringing its fast-paced, high-stakes action back to the global phygital stage.

For GOTF 2026, MLBB will be contested in a five-on-five format, with top teams from around the world battling for a total prize pool of US$900,000. The competition will take place at the Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov Martial Arts Palace in Astana from 6 to 9 August, as part of a broader multi-discipline program spanning both mobile and PC titles.

“What makes MLBB stand out isn’t just what happens inside the venue, it’s what happens beyond it,” said William Al-Badeesh, Publisher Relations & IP Licensing Lead at Phygital International. “At GOTF 2025, millions of fans who couldn’t be in Abu Dhabi were still part of the moment, through streamers co-casting live in their own languages, building their own communities around every match. That kind of organic reach is something you can’t manufacture. MLBB brings its entire world with it wherever it competes, and that’s exactly the standard we want at the Games of the Future 2026.”

In 2025, the MLBB event saw ONIC secure the MOBA Mobile title after a dominant run, defeating Aurora Gaming in the final. The matchup brought together standout talents including Kairi “Kairi” Rayosdelsol of ONIC and Mehmet “Lunar” Ilgun of Aurora Gaming, highlighting the global competitiveness of the discipline.

That momentum translated into strong audience engagement. MOBA competitions were among the most watched at the event, accounting for 45 percent of total viewership, reinforcing their position as a major draw for global esports audiences.

For 2026, MLBB will again feature alongside Dota 2 in the MOBA PC competition, strengthening the role of the genre within the event’s multi-title lineup and its appeal to global esports audiences.

Building on the success of previous editions, GOTF 2026 is expected to bring together more than 900 participants from over 50 countries in Astana from July 29 to August 9, 2026. The event is expected to attract more than 100,000 spectators on-site, with hundreds of millions more tuning in worldwide across broadcast and streaming platforms.

Further details on MOBA Mobile qualification pathways, participating teams, and the full competition schedule will be announced in the coming weeks. To stay up to date with the latest news on the Games of the Future 2026, follow @gamesofthefutureofficial on social media or visit the official Games of the Future website. Fans can also relive the MLBB action from last year on Phygital+, Phygital International’s dedicated Direct-to-Consumer platform.