Smart, MOONTON Games empower aspiring esports creators through MPL Battle Trips

Despite its rapid growth, the esports industry remains misunderstood by many. It is often dismissed as an unviable career path or merely a distraction for students. However, esports has evolved into a thriving global arena brimming with opportunities beyond gaming itself, encompassing broadcasting, production, media, and event management.

To help students uncover these possibilities, Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), a leading mobile services provider, partnered with MOONTON Games to launch the “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) Professional League (MPL) Battle Trips” initiative. 

This program was designed to empower aspiring Filipino gamers by introducing them to the diverse career opportunities that await in the esports ecosystem.

A gathering of like-minded souls

Nearly 300 students from 33 colleges and universities in Luzon and Metro Manila were onboarded. They were given career talks and immersion to show how an esports broadcast is mounted. Members of the press also gave tips on writing stories for an esports event. 

The participants got the chance to harness their esports skills and interact with their MPL PH idols, including the casters and players. Not only did they get to ask their favorite teams questions during the post-match press conferences, but they also received official merchandise from MPL-PH, MLBB Community Heroes (CH), and MOONTON Student Leaders (MSL) Philippines.

“I was very happy that there are initiatives like this that aim to educate about esports and combat the stigma the general public has about it—that it is not only for playing or for leisure but also for livelihood,” said Aerol Dwayne Balayon, a fourth-year computer science student at the University of the Philippines-Diliman and a member of the UPD Esports Varsity Team, who joined the Battle Trips during the seventh week of the regular season.

Balayon is a default mid-laner in MLBB who started playing in 2017. 

“Being given the opportunity to experience a free ride to and from the MPL Philippines venue, free food and entry, backstage access, meet-and-greet sessions with players, and most importantly, a talk about the backend of an esports production, is something that happens extremely rarely,” he shared. 

“From arriving at the designated bus pickup location to returning back again at the same spot several hours after the conclusion of the day’s games, a feeling of fulfillment hits me.”

He brought three friends and two colleagues from their local MLBB community to the MPL Battle Trips. Balayon believed such an additional side event is welcome to the games because “it shows that esports is indeed a multidisciplinary field - that there are a lot of people involved and work to be done even in a single day of a tournament.”

Jay Rafael Segovia, a partnership-building officer at Community Heroes - Manpower, also expressed the same sentiment. “As someone from Mindanao, it felt surreal! It was the best trip I’ve had,”

“As an MLBB enthusiast, it makes me hope for more in the Mindanao scene. And I am sharing the MPL experience with everyone and sharing their stories through my experience. I hope the stories they’ve heard will become an experience of their own."

Technology as a great equalizer

In line with their mission to bolster grassroots gaming, Smart and MOONTON Games pledged to take MPL Battle Trips to more young gamers.

“Being MPL Philippines’ longstanding partner, Smart has consistently supported us in our campaigns that make an impact on our audience.” Migz Del Gallego, Philippines head of esports at MOONTON Games, said. 

“We share the same mission with Smart to discover and hone the young ones to thrive in this industry. Through our MPL Battle Trips, we aim to help the younger generation realize the opportunities in front of them if they decide to take up space in esports.”

Melvin C. Nubla, FVP and head of Non-Traditional Marketing and Activations Group, also explained Smart’s vision well: "With MPL Battle Trips, we want to provide aspiring esports players with a platform to experience and get inspired by our exciting esports industry, powered by Smart 5G. This initiative is just one of the many ways we go beyond delivering connectivity to empower our customers with amazing experiences.,"

“Aspirants like Aerol, and even the young person in charge, Miguel, need to be honed and molded to become the next leaders of esports, not only in the Philippines but on the global stage,” Nubla added. “Aboard Battle Trips, no play time is wasted. There’s always an opportunity to learn and rank up!”

With participants coming from different parts of the country, the future of esports looks bright for Filipinos. “Even though participants came from different parts of the Philippines each week, they put in the effort to attend and experience this kind of event. Distance and travel didn’t hinder them, and because of this, I can confidently say that the future of MLBB (Mobile Legends: Bang Bang) remains bright, maintaining its glory because of its players,” he said.

An entertaining and interactive experience

The participants toured the tournament’s production and witnessed how everything was set up, including the hardware, lighting, sound system, screens, and of course, Smart’s reliable 5G connectivity.

They also met some of their heroes—the MPL pro players and casters.

“I would describe it as a fun and interactive experience since I got to watch my favorite team, the Aurora, especially my bias, Edward,” shared John Aaron Trinidad, a student leader from Polytechnic University of the Philippines - Maragondon Campus.

“The event is super entertaining as well because we've played the FANSiklaban portion and built our team to go against another random team,” he added.

To cap off Battle Trips, the young esports enthusiasts joined the live audience of the MPL PH games. On September 28, Team Liquid PH humbled Blacklist International, Falcons AP Bren soared high over Smart Omega, while Fnatic ONIC PH defeated Aurora Gaming.

Held from August 19 to October 20, players from the National Capital Region (NCR) took on the Battle Trip on week one, Bulacan and Rizal on week two, Batangas on week three, Laguna and Cavite on week four, Pampanga and Nueva Ecija on week five, and Tarlac and Zambales on week six. Weeks seven and eight, meanwhile, were open to all regions.

During the grand finals, Fnatic ONIC PH repeated its victory over Aurora Gaming for the MPL PH Season 14 crown. The two squads are now in Malaysia as the Philippine representatives in the M6 World Championships.

With its growing community of players, coaches, and organizers, the future of esports in the Philippines is brighter than ever. By fostering initiatives like MPL Battle Trips, Smart and MOONTON Games ensure that the Philippines remains a formidable force in the esports arena.

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Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Smart Communications, Inc.