The Editorial Team delivers in-depth coverage of the esports industry, providing expert analysis on business trends, investments, and esports betting. With extensive experience across journalism, gaming, and betting, the team ensures Esports Insider remains a trusted source for professionals, enthusiasts, and stakeholders seeking insightful and timely news on the competitive gaming and betting landscape. The newsroom also uses automation, data tools, and emerging reporting technologies to support research, monitoring, verification, and faster coverage of developing stories.
The Mobile Legends: Bang Bang tournament at the 2026 Asian Games runs from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 at the Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Japan, with 11 national teams chasing the first-ever MLBB gold medal at the Asiad.
The 11 teams are split into four groups for a single round-robin group stage, with the top two sides from each group advancing to a single-elimination playoff bracket. All matches are best-of-three except the gold medal match, which is a best-of-seven series. The Philippines , represented by the core of Team Liquid PH , enters as a heavy favourite after Filipino teams won six of the seven MLBB World Championships, while Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Cambodia are also considered contenders given the region’s established competitive scene. Iran withdrew from the tournament before it began.
The group stage was played on Sept. 29, with the playoffs running Sept. 30 through Oct. 1. Results from the opening groups have already shaken out two brackets.
The gold medal match is set for Oct. 1 at 1pm UTC+8 (1am ET), following quarterfinals and semifinals staged across Sept. 30. The event sits within a broader esports programme at the Asian Games featuring Japan’s home teams across multiple titles, with every MLBB match streaming through the game’s official YouTube, Facebook and TikTok channels.
Esports made a non-medal appearance at the Asian Games in 2018 before becoming a full medal discipline in 2022, according to the Olympic Council of Asia, making MLBB’s inclusion in Aichi-Nagoya its first appearance on the Asiad stage. The title’s roster of contenders reflects a region that has anchored the mobile MOBA’s competitive economy for years, a dynamic explored in ESI’s look at how MLBB built its esports empire across Southeast Asia .
Group C and Group D wrapped their remaining fixtures on Sept. 29, setting the quarterfinal bracket for Sept. 30, with semifinals following the same day and the gold medal decider on Oct. 1. All knockout rounds are played as best-of-three series until the final, which switches to best-of-seven to determine gold, silver and bronze – all currently listed as TBD.
Coverage of the bracket will continue as results roll in, with every match available live on MLBB Esports’ YouTube, Facebook and TikTok channels.