In the past, we have discussed why Mobiile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) is a must-watch esport. Now, esports organizations worldwide are looking to join its ecosystem. One of the most prominent esports organizations in the world, Natus Vincere (Navi), is slated to join the franchised MPL Indonesia. In this article, let us look into this deal and what fans could expect with NAVI within MLBB in 2025.
NAVI Joins MLBB esports, picks up MPL Indonesia slot
Image Credits: NAVI
One might wonder how NAVI joined the MPL Indonesia; the answer is that they acquired the spot of Rebellion Esports. Rebellion Esports has been a part of the MPL since 2021. During MPL Indonesia Seasons 13 and 14, they finished in 7th and 8th position.
MPL Indonesia season 15 will be the first tournament NAVI will play in. They also plan to field a roster within the MDL Indonesia (MDL ID), the development league for MLBB in the country. Below are the names of all players that will be playing for NAVI:
- Karsten ‘Karss’ Tjugito (EXP Lane)
- Muhammad ‘woshipaul’ Sastradinata (Jungler)
- Jason ‘Aether’ Zefanya (Jungler)
- Muhammad ‘xMagic’ Ramadhan (Middle)
- Zeonn (Gold Lane)
- Michael ‘Xyve’ Richi (Gold Lane)
- Rifaldo ‘HanafiTzy’ Hanaf (Roamer)
With MLBB expanding to China and creating a new franchised league with the region, only time will tell which international organizations will soon field an MLBB roster.
MLBB Esports has been on the rise since 2024. The game has been part of various international tournaments, such as the Esports World Cup and the SEA Games. In 2024, the M6 grand finals had one of the highest concurrent viewers in esports history. Of the top five most-watched esports tournaments in 2024, three were MLBB events.
Seeing this spike in popularity, various teams have tried to acquire a spot in the Indonesian League of MLBB. Team Liquid is another popular European organization that is part of this league. Last year, during the M6 World Championship, they finished in second place, taking home a prize pool of $150,000. The team that won it was another European esports organization, FNATIC, which had fielded a team in the MLBB Philippines league.