When the Esports World Cup 2025 unfolded in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, week two delivered a landmark chapter for mobile esports: the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women’s Invitational, known as MWI. By 2026, the event remains a defining moment for women’s competition in MLBB, a title that has grown into a global force since its 2016 release. With more than 110 million monthly active users, MLBB stands as one of the most popular mobile Multiplayer Online Battle Arena games in the world. Its international tournaments and regional leagues attract viewers across continents, and the MWI has become a central pillar of that ecosystem.

The 2025 MWI returned to the Esports World Cup for a second consecutive year, bringing together the most formidable women athletes in mobile esports. It was not merely a side event. It was a statement about skill, ambition, and representation. The tournament’s presence at EWC 2025 reinforced how far women’s MLBB has traveled, and it gave aspiring competitors a visible stage on which to prove themselves.

A year earlier, the MWI Grand Finals produced one of the most unforgettable memories in the discipline’s history. The underdog Smart Omega Empress, an all-Filipino roster, shocked the world by sweeping Team Vitality, the consensus favorite. That result ended the Indonesian team’s three-year-long, 24-match winning streak. According to Esports Charts, more than 265,000 viewers tuned in online to watch the electric Grand Finals. The upset did more than crown a champion. It signaled that the women’s scene was deep, competitive, and capable of producing genuine global drama.

MWI is a cornerstone of MLBB Esports’ inclusivity strategy. It offers aspiring women esports talents a platform to stand on the world stage, and its growth reflects a deliberate commitment from MOONTON Games and the Esports World Cup. The 2025 edition made history as the largest MWI yet, expanding to a 16-team line-up from 12 teams the previous year. Qualifiers reached 57 regions, up from 46, further demonstrating the global reach of the competition.

Ray Ng, Head of Esports Ecosystem at MOONTON Games, said: “Our goal with MWI goes beyond just being a tournament. It’s about laying the foundations for a more sustainable and inclusive esports ecosystem. Being the largest women’s tournament at EWC 25 is a milestone, but it also reinforces our responsibility to lead by example. We’re committed to expanding opportunities for women to thrive at every level of competitive play.”

The 16 teams represented 13 regions from across the world. The line-up included 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. They competed for a $500,000 prize pool, with an additional $50,000 awarded to the MVP. The event also carried 3,350 EWC 2025 Club Championship points, giving the matches stakes that extended beyond the MWI itself.

Team	Team
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	Terror Queens

At the 2025 event, the roster of champions that won under the Smart Omega Empress banner returned to defend their crown. This time, they represented a legendary esports club as Natus Vincere PH. In addition to another Natus Vincere roster of players from Malaysia, Natus Vincere PH also competed against familiar foes in Vitality. The European organization had gained the upper hand in several rematches since the 2024 EWC, adding a layer of revenge narrative to the bracket.

The women’s MLBB professional scene has seen significant growth, driven by dedicated tournaments like the MWI. That growth has produced greater interest from high-caliber clubs and organizations. Natus Vincere, Team Liquid, and Virtus.pro, all considered top contenders in the EWC Club Championship, acquired women’s MLBB rosters in 2025. With these clubs competing alongside the likes of Vitality and Falcons, the results of the MWI could very well have massive implications in the Club Championship race.

By 2026, the 2025 MWI is remembered not only for its champion but for its scale. The tournament expanded access, raised prize money, and placed women’s MLBB in front of a global audience. It showed that inclusivity and elite competition can coexist. It also created a template for future editions, where more regions, more clubs, and more players can enter the international spotlight. The legacy of the 2025 Women’s Invitational continues to shape the conversation around mobile esports, and its impact is likely to be felt for years to come.

Data referenced from data.ai helps frame why the MLBB Women’s Invitational’s expansion in 2025 mattered beyond the bracket: in mobile esports, sustained player scale and engagement are what justify larger prize pools, broader regional qualifiers, and long-term ecosystem investment. With MLBB operating at massive monthly activity, the MWI’s jump to 16 teams and qualification coverage across dozens of regions aligns with the broader market reality that competitive mobile titles grow fastest when publishers pair global reach with inclusive pathways—turning representation into a durable talent pipeline that can support elite-level competition year after year.