Now in 2026, the industry is currently dominated by the Esports World Cup (EWC) and its record-breaking $75 million total prize pool. Titles like Honor of Kings, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), and PUBG Mobile are no longer “niche” mobile games, but they are global giants with viewership and payouts that rival or exceed traditional PC titles.
For decades, the image of “professional gaming” was synonymous with glowing PC towers and living-room consoles. Names like League of Legends, Dota 2, and Counter-Strike defined the limits of what an esport could be.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang – Most Watched Mobile Game
Mobile Legends attracts a huge audience with high viewer records beaten in every big tournament, and the increase of popularity in mobile games does not seem to slow down in the near future. While traditional PC titles struggle to grow their ageing audiences, MLBB has cultivated a fanatical following, particularly in Southeast Asia, and Malaysia.
- Peak Viewership Dominance: The M5 World Championship set a staggering benchmark with over 5.06 million peak viewers, rivaling, and often surpassing major PC events like the Valorant Champions or Dota 2’s The International.
- Engagement Metrics: In 2025, the M6 World Championship recorded 85.4 million hours watched, a significant jump from previous years. Even domestic leagues, like MPL Indonesia Season 15, have pulled in over 4 million peak viewers, a feat most global PC tournaments dream of.
- The “Short-Form” Advantage: With matches typically lasting 15–20 minutes, MLBB fits perfectly into the modern digital lifestyle, allowing for more high-stakes moments in a shorter broadcast window.
Almost everyone in Malaysia has access to a mobile phone, and most people own an Android smartphone, which is perfect for mobile gaming online. The viewer popularity is one thing, but Malaysia betting sites will offer multiple promotions during online mobile games events and tournaments.
Betting on mobile games that are being played is extremely popular online, and most sportsbooks offer live streaming of the events and with tons of live betting markets for each mobile game being played.
Honor of Kings – Record Holder for Live Attendance
While MLBB dominates the global viewership, Honor of Kings has become a financial and structural titan. Long the king of the Chinese market, its 2024–2025 global rollout has fundamentally altered the international esports landscape.
- A New Era of Investment: In 2025 alone, publisher Level Infinite injected $15 million into the global HoK esports ecosystem. This investment culminated in the Honor of Kings International Championship (KIC) 2025, which boasted a $1 million prize pool for international teams. Small, however, compared to the $9.8 million (¥70 million) prize pool of China’s domestic KPL Grand Finals.
- The Guinness World Record: Honor of Kings recently set a Guinness World Record for the largest live attendance at an esports event, with 62,196 spectators filling Beijing’s National Stadium.
- Global Restructuring for 2026: Moving into 2026, HoK is consolidating its power, merging seven regional leagues into five, including the new Honor of Kings Major League (KML). This move is designed to create a “hardware-agnostic” future where mobile talent is treated with the same prestige as legacy PC pros.
The Verdict: Mobile Gaming Keeps Expanding
The numbers don’t lie. Mobile gaming now accounts for roughly 50% of all global gaming revenue, and its esports counterparts are following suit. By the end of 2026, the “Big Three” of esports, traditionally League, CS, and Dota, may find themselves permanently looking up at the mobile giants in terms of raw audience reach and live engagement.
The record books are clear: the future of competitive gaming isn’t tied to a desk. It’s sitting in the palm of your hand.
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