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| (Image Source: MOONTON Games) |
MOONTON Games officially launched the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) Global Skin Design Contest 2026, inviting artists, illustrators, and creators from around the world to submit original hero skin concepts under the theme "Era Of Awakening: The Clash Of Two Destinies". The contest reflects MOONTON Games' broader belief that creativity is a core part of how the company grows with its global community. By giving artists a route to showcase their work on one of the world's most recognised mobile gaming platforms, MOONTON aims to cultivate new creative talent while expanding the artistic possibilities of the MLBB universe.
The contest offers a total prize pool of USD$49,000. Outstanding artists whose design concepts closely match MLBB's visual direction may also be offered remote employment opportunities to work with MOONTON Games' global creative team and co-create future hero skins. "We hope that through hosting competitions, offering prize incentives, and establishing an employment channel, we can help creators reach international platforms like MLBB and showcase their original concepts to the world", said MLBB Senior Concept Designer Ma Hui which is one of the competition's judges comprising of some of the leading names from the global game art and concept design fields which also includes MLBB Chief Artist and critically acclaimed Computer Graphics (CG) artist Wenjun Lin, internationally recognized concept artist Adrian Smith who is known for his work on iconic IPs such as 'Warhammer 40,000' and 'Magic: The Gathering', and 'Overwatch' Principal Concept Artist Ben Zhang who is a contributor to the visual design of titles such as 'Hearthstone' and 'Diablo'. Their involvement reflects the contest's ambition to be more than a community campaign. It is designed as a global meeting point for creators, professional artists, and the MLBB creative team to exchange ideas and explore what hero skin design can become across different cultures, styles, and artistic backgrounds. The contest also builds on MOONTON Games' broader commitment to creativity as a core part of the company's culture and future direction. From hero design and world-building to music, eSports presentation, and community-led content, MOONTON continues to invest in creative disciplines that shape how players experience MLBB around the world. This focus was recently recognized at the 2026 NYX Game Awards where MOONTON Games' in-house music and audio production team Moontunes Studios (MTS) won two Grand Winner titles for Mobile Game – Best Music and Mobile Game – Best Audio Design for MLBB. The recognition highlights how MOONTON Games is building creative capabilities across multiple disciplines, not only gameplay, and reinforce MLBB's standing as one of the world's most defining and immersive mobile gaming experiences.
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| (Image Source: MOONTON Games/International Awards Associate) |
The NYX Game Awards, presented by the International Awards Associate (IAA), is a premier global recognition platform celebrating excellence across video games, game design, and interactive entertainment — making these dual victories a significant milestone in the game's ever-growing legacy. The award-winning audio was born from Metro Zero — MLBB's critically acclaimed skin series launched in August 2025, a creative vision that fuses cyberpunk aesthetics with elements of Chinese spiritual culture to forge an entirely new audiovisual (AV) identity for its featured heroes. Metro Zero brings together traditional Chinese folk music, rap in the Hokkien dialect, modern Electronic Dance Music (EDM), and cyberpunk textures — delivering an immersive sonic experience that pulls players deeper into the Land of Dawn and sets Metro Zero apart on the global stage. Moontunes Studios Audio Director Cedar Zhao said, "Winning these Grand Awards at the 2026 NYX Game Awards is a tremendous honour and a testament to the extraordinary talent, passion, and dedication of our music and audio production team. Sound is the soul of gaming, and our goal has always been to make every match feel epic, culturally resonant, and emotionally engaging for our millions of players worldwide. This recognition fuels our commitment to continue pushing the boundaries of mobile game audio and delivering unforgettable auditory experiences for players everywhere." IAA spokesperson Thomas Brandt shared, "Behind [MOONTON Games] is a team that dares to push creative and technical limits. The NYX Game Awards exists to recognize those creators who elevate the industry to new heights. This season's winners demonstrate the innovation, ambition, and craftsmanship that continue to drive the global gaming industry forward." The dual victory underscores MOONTON Games' commitment to creative excellence as MLBB continues to celebrate its 10th year anniversary this year. From dynamic battle scores to intricately layered sound design, MTS continues to raise the bar for mobile game audio on the global stage.
"We look forward to seeing the collision and integration of different cultural backgrounds and art styles, and also hope that more outstanding creators can use the MLBB stage to showcase their works to global players," said Lin. Artists and creators can submit their entries from now until June 21, 2026. Full contest rules and submission requirements are available at www.ggac.com/contest/mlbb/challenge.
