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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Esports devider Esport gold within reach as MLBB, HoK added to 2026 Asian Games

Esport gold within reach as MLBB, HoK added to 2026 Asian Games

Published Feb 26, 2025 05:57 am

At A Glance

  • Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Honor of Kings, two esports titles where Philippine teams are thriving, bannered the roster of events for esports in the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

The PH’s first esports gold in the Asian Games is now within reach.

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Honor of Kings, two esports titles where Philippine teams are thriving, bannered the roster of events for esports in the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Sibol_Mobile_Legends_gold_2023_05_14_18_25_33.jpg

The Olympic Council of Asia announced 11 medal events in esports for the quadrennial meet with 13 titles to be played.

Aside from MLBB and HoK, other titles included for the continental showcase are Pokemon Unite, League of Legends, PUBG Mobile: Asian Games Version, Identity V: Asian Games Version, Naraka: Baldepoint, Gran Turismo (7), Efootball Series, and Puyo Puyo Champions. Combat games Tekken, Street Fighter Series and King of Fighter will be played under competitive martial arts category and as one medal event.

It will be the first time that Mobile Legends will be included in the Asian Games after not being part of the initial roster of titles in the 2018 edition of the meet where esports was introduced as a demonstration sport.

It formally became a medal sport in the Guangzhou Games in China two years ago where seven titles – Arena of Valor, ES Sports FC Online, Street Fighter, League of Legends, Dream Three Kingdoms 2, Peace Elite, and DOTA2 – were played.

With the addition of the mobile games in the continental meet, chances of the Filipinos bag a medal, greatly increases especially that the country is known as one of the powerhouse countries in esports, particularly in Mobile Legends.

Through the six editions of the M-series World Championships, MLBB Esports crowning tournament, Filipino teams already bagged a total of five titles.

The Sibol national team has also completed a three-peat in MLBB in the Southeast Asian Games.

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