Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, which is one of the biggest mobile games in the world, is one of several games banned in the United States following the TikTok takedown that hit ByteDance. ByeDance boasts ownership over the likes of Nuverse and MOONTON Games, which impacts ML:BB, Marvel Snap, and Land of Empires, among others.
This ban impacts the esports industry, as ML:BB is one of the key drivers of the mobile competitive gaming market. In data from Esports Charts, it’s revealed that ML:BB is one of the most-viewed games in history, boasting a peak concurrent viewer count of more than five million users, secured during 2023’s M5 World Championship.
Another Hit
The TikTok ban is live now in the United States, and when you try to access the application from the region, you’ll be met with a prompt saying that… Well, that you can’t.
The ByteDance ban has impacted a few games, too – including Marvel Snap, which is published by Nuverse, a ByteDance-owned brand.
Many esports fans are concerned about the ban that has impacted Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, arguably the most popular mobile esports game in the world, alongside the likes of PUBG Mobile.
This action has also hit Mobile Legends: Adventure. When you try to access that game, you’ll be met with a message that reads:
Mobile Legends: Adventure is currently unavailable.
Due to circumstances beyond our control, Mobile Legends: Adventure is currently unavailable to players in the US.
We deeply value our vibrant player community and are actively exploring possibilities to bring the game back in the future.
Trying to access ML:BB and TikTok will reward you with similar message prompts.
According to Esports Charts, ML:BB was the eighth most valuable esports game in 2024, awarding players almost $8 million across 163 tournaments. It closely beat PUBG and trailed just behind VALORANT. Behind League of Legends, ML:BB was the most-viewed esports game of the year, beating Counter-Strike, Dota 2, and Fortnite.
While North America isn’t the most populous region where ML:BB is concerned, this is still a blow.
Have you been impacted by the ByteDance ban? Let us know on the Insider Gaming forum.
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