Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) celebrated its 10th anniversary on Istanbul's Bosphorus this past weekend, bringing together hundreds of players and creators from across Türkiye. The celebration marked a decade of growth for one of the world's most popular mobile games, while setting the stage for the M8 World Championship (M8) in January 2027. The tournament will be the first M Series held in Europe.
The Bosphorus Strait provided a fitting backdrop for the decade milestone. Connecting Europe and Asia, Istanbul reflects MLBB's evolution from its roots in Southeast Asia into a global game with growing communities across multiple regions. The anniversary celebration marked another step in that journey, bringing MLBB's global ambitions together with a growing local community in Türkiye.
Overlooking the Bosphorus Strait, the two-day celebration placed MLBB's Turkish community at the centre of the anniversary. Players, leading gaming creators, esports personalities, and partners came together for a series of community activities, including a community wall, personalised 10th anniversary T-shirts, and meet-and-greets with some of Türkiye's leading gaming creators. The event was designed to celebrate the people who have helped shape MLBB's journey in the market. The programme also featured a community tournament, with creators leading teams of MLBB players. The winning teams later joined their creators for a yacht cruise.
Cihan Ağagişi, Regional Marketing Director at MOONTON Games, said: "MLBB built its strongest roots in Southeast Asia, but over the past 10 years, the game has grown into a truly global community. Türkiye is one of the clearest examples of that journey. We have seen the local player base, creator community, and esports scene grow alongside the game, and celebrating this milestone with the iconic Bosphorus Strait as our backdrop felt like a powerful way to recognise how far MLBB has come."
In January 2027, Istanbul will host the M8, bringing the world's leading MLBB teams and fans to Türkiye for the first M Series ever staged in Europe. Its previous edition, the M7 World Championship (M7), recorded more than 5eas.68 million Peak Concurrent Viewers (PCV), highlighting the scale of the global audience expected to turn its attention to Istanbul. The M Series' move into Europe marks the latest step in MLBB Esports' continued global expansion. Over the past decade, its competitive ecosystem has grown beyond its Southeast Asian roots into a multi-region circuit connecting teams and audiences around the world.
That global growth has been matched by deeper investment in Türkiye. Earlier this year, the Golden Month campaign delivered Türkiye's largest-ever gaming giveaway, with prizes including a Tesla Model Y. On the esports front, the MLBB Türkiye Championship (MTC) has continued to grow its local partner ecosystem, with Season 8 bringing together leading Turkish brands such as Turkcell and Paycell, alongside global brands including Red Bull.
Cihan added: "MLBB has grown into a global game by building strong local communities around the world and Türkiye is an important part of that next phase. Istanbul's position between East and West gives us a unique opportunity to bring different audiences together, introduce more people to MLBB, and create moments that resonate both locally and globally. We are excited to welcome the world to Istanbul and continue growing the community from here."
