The 2026 Hero Esports Asian Champions League (ACL) × Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) Championship Tour (MCT) East Asia (EA) concluded on 24 May at Star Ring Center in Shanghai, with China's Guangzhou Gaming (GZG) emerging as champions after defeating Mongolia's The MongolZ (MNG), 3-1, in the best-of-five (BO5) Grand Finals. During the event, MOONTON Games also officially announced Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, as the next host city for MCT EA, marking a major expansion of the East Asia circuit and bringing one of MLBB's premier regional tournaments to Mongolia for the first time.

As the opening stop of the MLBB Championship Tour (MCT) East Asia circuit this year, the tournament determined the region's rankings and qualification slots for the MLBB Mid Season Cup (MSC) at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026. With the victory, GZG secured a direct berth to the Main Stage of the MSC at EWC 2026 to be hosted in Paris, France.

The tournament featured six top professional teams from China, Mongolia, Japan, and South Korea, with China represented by the first seed, GZG, and the second seed, YBG. Throughout the competition, GZG impressed with disciplined macro play, consistent team coordination, and strong performances across the tournament, ultimately lifting the Shanghai title. 

Under the tournament qualification structure, runners-up The MongolZ, alongside third-place The Huns and fourth-place Sunset Ravens, will represent East Asia in the Wild Card stage of the MSC at EWC 2026.

MCT EA expands to Ulaanbataar During the Grand Finals, MOONTON Games also announced a major expansion of the MCT EA ecosystem, revealing that the next stop of the East Asia circuit will take place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on 31 October, in partnership with Mongolia-based esports organization Esports Network (ESN). 

The upcoming MCT EA x ESN tournament will mark a new chapter for East Asia's cross-border esports circuit, bringing together top teams from China, Mongolia, Japan, and South Korea to compete for qualification to MLBB's highest competitive stage, the M8 World Championship. 

With Mongolia rapidly emerging as one of East Asia's most passionate MLBB communities, the event is expected to position Ulaanbaatar as a growing esports hub for the region while strengthening cross-border esports collaboration and regional ecosystem development. 

Mike Chu, Head of the East Asia Esports at MOONTON Games, said: "MCT EA represents the core professional mobile esports circuit for East Asia, serving as an important platform for regional competition, talent development, and ecosystem growth. The event in Shanghai successfully brought together top teams across East Asia and showcased the region's competitive strength and potential on a high level. With Ulaanbaatar as the next destination for MCT EA, we hope to create more opportunities for East Asian teams to compete at the highest level while strengthening connections across the region's esports ecosystem. Moving forward, we will continue refining the MCT EA system to provide a more professional and internationally competitive platform for East Asian teams, while creating clearer pathways from regional competition to the global stage." 

As MCT EA continues to expand across East Asia, the tournament aims to further strengthen regional esports collaboration, deepen ecosystem development, and support the long-term growth of mobile esports throughout the region. 

More details regarding the MCT EA Ulaanbaatar tournament, including participating teams, tournament format, qualification rules, and ticketing information, will be announced in the coming months.

For more information about MCT EA, please check out the following official pages: