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| (Image Source: MOONTON Games) |
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) has made history at the eSports World Cup (EWC), emerging as the event's most-watched eSports title for a third consecutive edition with 2.89 million peak concurrent viewers (PCV) according to eSports Charts. MLBB eSports now turns to Istanbul, Türkiye with MOONTON Games recently unveiling the slot allocation for the M8 World Championship (M8), the eighth edition of the MLBB's flagship global tournament which will be making its European debut on January 2027.
The M8 slot allocation builds on MLBB's global visibility by widening global participation with more pathways for emerging talent to reach the world stage. It puts the five-region global structure — spanning Southeast Asia (SEA); Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA); Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA); East Asia (EA); and the Americas (AMER) — in motion. The framework connects MLBB eSports' established franchised leagues and expanding regional competitions to the pinnacle of competitive MLBB — the M Series. MLBB is one of the world's leading mobile games with 1.5 billion installations and 110 million Monthly Active Users (MAU). The title has cemented itself as a global eSports powerhouse, holding the world record for the most-watched mobile eSports title since 2021 according to eSports Charts. Earlier this year, the M7 World Championship became the most-popular mobile eSports tournament in history with more than 5.68 million PCV according to eSports Charts. The M8 Wild Card in Bangkok, Thailand will be the biggest yet, bringing together a record 10 teams compared with eight at the M7. As the final gate to the world stage, all 10 teams will vie for three coveted slots in the 16-team Main Stage, up from two at the previous edition. The M8 will also mark the first time the MLBB Championship Tour (MCT) feeds into the M Series. Introduced this year as a new layer of MLBB's global competitive structure, MCT is designed to elevate regional competition and spotlight emerging talent. Together, the expanded Wild Card and new MCT pathways give more teams the opportunity to carry regional success onto the global arena.
MOONTON Games Global Head of MLBB eSports Tiger Xu said, "As MLBB approaches its 10th anniversary, our next chapter is about connecting the strength we have built across regions into a more global competitive ecosystem. The M8 brings that vision to life by opening more routes for teams to reach the world stage. The more regions we connect to international competition, the stronger and more diverse the field becomes. Our ambition is to build an ecosystem where world-class talent can emerge from every region and compete at the highest level." MLBB at EWC 26 offered an early glimpse of what stronger regional pathways can produce. Team Spirit, representing EECA, defeated Myanmar's Yangon Galacticos 4–3 in the MLBB Mid Season Cup (MSC) Grand Final to become the first team from outside Southeast Asia to win an official international MLBB major. The breakthrough came during MLBB's third consecutive year as a mainstay title at EWC, where both MSC and the rebranded MLBB Women's International (MWI) made their European debuts. The journey from Paris to Istanbul reflects the continued expansion of MLBB's international footprint. Across 2026 and early 2027, MLBB IPs are entering three new countries and major international stages: MSC and MWI made their European debuts in Paris, France; MLBB's Asian Games debut in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan; and the M8 Finals in Istanbul, Türkiye.
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DAZN Launches NCAA College Sports Channel, Expanding Its Leading US Sports Offering For International Fans
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| (Image Source: DAZN) |
DAZN, the world’s leading sports entertainment platform, recently announced the launch of the NCAA College Sports channel, a new dedicated subscription service bringing premium US college football and basketball to fans across 200+ markets outside the United States. The channel has launched ahead of the start of the new U.S. college football and basketball seasons.
The launch strengthens DAZN’s position as the international home of US sports, complementing its broader portfolio, which includes NFL Game Pass and NHL.TV. Together, these channels will provide fans with access to some of the most popular sports content from the US, all available on DAZN’s global platform. Depending on market availability, subscribers will gain access to extensive college football and basketball coverage from major conferences including Big Ten, SEC, Big 12, ACC, Mountain West, Big East, as well as other college sports content. The most comprehensive package includes more than 20 college football games per week, the entirety of College Football Playoff including the National Championship, as well as more than 20 college basketball games per week, including all of Men’s and Women’s March Madness Tournaments. In other territories, fans will have access to a strong schedule of Big Ten and FOX content including every Big Ten regular season and Conference Championship football game, select Big 12 and Mountain West matchups, and extensive college basketball coverage with up to 20 college basketball games per week, featuring the Big Ten, Big 12 and Big East conferences.
The channel offers premium viewing features for fans in all markets, such as Multiview – allowing fans to watch up to four NCAA games simultaneously – streaming on up to five devices in two locations, and downloadable content that can be watched on-the-go in more than 200 markets around the world. DAZN Group CEO Shay Segev said, “The launch of DAZN’s NCAA College Sports channel is another important step in our strategy to build the most compelling destination for US sports fans outside the United States. We are proud to be a trusted long-term partner to many of the biggest rights holders in American sports, helping them reach passionate international audiences at scale. Alongside NFL Game Pass and NHL.TV, the NCAA College Sports channel further strengthens DAZN’s premium US sports portfolio. From the electric atmosphere of game day to the drama of the playoffs and March Madness, DAZN will bring the very best of college sports to fans wherever they are.”
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PUBG MOBILE LIGHT Redefines Play With A Lightweight, High-Performance Experience
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| (Image Source: Google Play/KRAFTON Inc.) |
PUBG MOBILE, one of the world’s most popular mobile games, is thrilled to announce the upcoming launch of PUBG MOBILE LIGHT, a new application designed to deliver a faster, more streamlined battle royale experience, all while preserving the beloved core gameplay that has captivated millions of players worldwide. Players can pre-register for PUBG MOBILE LIGHT now on the App Store (iOS) and Google Play Store (Android) ahead of its official launch in November with CBT access to be held in select countries.
Staying true to the core PUBG MOBILE experience, PUBG MOBILE LIGHT centres around classic battle royale gameplay on the iconic Erangel map where up to 100 players drop in solo or in teams, loot for survival, and fight to be the last standing in a tense, winner-takes-all showdown. Maps including Miramar and Sanhok, along with game modes including Team Deathmatch and Metro Royale, will be available for download on demand, allowing players to streamline their gaming experience and customize their experience without any wasted storage space. With faster downloads and reduced loading times, PUBG MOBILE LIGHT allows players to get into the action almost immediately after downloading. The application has been optimised to use less storage with a download size of less than 1 GB on Android and 2 GB on iOS while delivering smoother, more responsive performance across a wider range of devices. Built to be lightweight yet powerful, PUBG MOBILE LIGHT makes the authentic PUBG MOBILE experience accessible to more players, offering the same level of intensity, quality, and immersive gameplay they’ve come to love in PUBG MOBILE without any compromise. Best of all, PUBG MOBILE LIGHT shares the same ecosystem as PUBG MOBILE. Players can log in with their existing PUBG MOBILE accounts, retain their friends list and game data, access assets, and seamlessly switch between the two versions based on their preferences, making it easier than ever to play on their terms.
“With PUBG MOBILE LIGHT, we’re empowering players to take control of their gameplay experience like never before. Whether you're a veteran player or just getting started with PUBG MOBILE, PUBG MOBILE LIGHT is all about quick access, smooth performance, and more flexibility, without sacrificing the core gameplay that PUBG MOBILE players know and love. Best of all, it supports cross-play with PUBG MOBILE, allowing players to squad up and enjoy the action together. We know players want fast, high-quality matches without having to compromise on download space, and PUBG MOBILE LIGHT delivers exactly that,” said Tencent Games Head of PUBG MOBILE Publishing Vincent Wang.
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thatgamecompany Launches thatgamepublisher, A New Publishing Label Dedicated To Emotionally Ambitious Games
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| (Image Source: KitGuru/thatgamecompany) |
thatgamecompany, the acclaimed studio behind legendary games like Journey, Flower, flOw and Sky: Children Of The Light, has launched thatgamepublisher (TGP), a new publishing label dedicated to emotionally ambitious games. The label will support creative developers who use interactivity to expand what games can make people feel - across borders, generations, and cultures.
"When we first began making games, many people questioned whether interactive experiences could move players as deeply as film, literature or music. Over the years, games have shown us what impact they can have on people. Lifelong friendships formed. Personal struggles healed. Loved ones reconnected. Hope restored. Those moments convinced us that games are capable of touching lives in profound ways. thatgamepublisher exists because we believe there are countless creators around the world discovering new emotional frontiers for this medium, and we want to help them bring those visions to life," said thatgamecompany CEO and Creative Director Jenova Chen. thatgamepublisher brings developers the full resources of a publisher, including funding, production planning, platform and launch strategy, marketing, community and long-term IP development. It’s all grounded in something most publishers can't offer: twenty years of learning how emotionally driven games actually get made. Through their own works, thatgamecompany discovered that the emotional heart of a game is rarely defined at the start. It emerges through prototypes, iteration and the right creative conversations. TGP's role is to protect that process, giving developers the room and alignment they need to find the strongest version of their work, without losing what makes it special. That publishing philosophy is further informed by seven years of operating Sky: Children Of The Light as a global live-service, cross platform game with more than 300 million downloads. "Most publishers are built around genres or market opportunities. We are built around a conviction that emotionally meaningful games matter, and that the creators behind them deserve a partner who understands both their creative ambition and their cultural potential. Our job is to protect the creative process and help each project reach the players, communities and cultural life it is meant to find." said thatgamecompany Vice President of Growth and Corporate Development SJ Xue who leads the TGP initiative.
thatgamepublisher aims to partner with developers to help identify, strengthen and preserve the emotional heart of their work. The label provides the resources, guidance and long-term support necessary for bold creative visions to flourish without losing what makes them special. Teams of any size and projects at any stage of development, with no genre or platform restrictions, are welcome for consideration. For more information and updates on the TGP initiative, visit its official website at www.thatgamepublisher.com.
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FIBA Partners With L1VE For 3×3 Immersive Live Rights
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| (Image Source: BusinessWire/FIBA) |
FIBA has agreed to an exclusive immersive live rights deal for 3×3 basketball with L1VE, covering the FIBA 3×3 World Tour, Women’s Series and World Cup, which will bring fans from around the world together and closer to the action in real time. Immersive live rights are a new class of media rights and allow FIBA’s 3×3 basketball events to open an additional platform that complements existing broadcast and streaming activities. It creates a new engagement opportunity for fans who cannot be inside the venue, giving them a new way to experience the live event.
Founded in 2022 and headquartered in New York with research and development based in Germany, L1VE is the company behind social presence and a pioneer of this new rights category. It also owns a proprietary glass-to-glass technology stack and a direct-to-fan platform. L1VE runs on every major immersive headset and scales like software: one production reaches every fan at once. Its proprietary technology captures a full venue of live experience in stereoscopic 360° 3D, a real-time pipeline fuses it into a single live scene, and a custom delivery layer keeps every fan worldwide present at the exact same moment. Fans can invite friends to watch alongside them, wherever they are in the world. Tickets are available for a single day of competition or as a tournament pass covering the full event, in the same way a fan would buy a ticket to attend in person. The platform has already been used for major live sport and music events internationally and officially launched with the Detroit Lions last August 22. Over the course of the three-year agreement, the platform will be rolled out across FIBA’s flagship 3×3 basketball events including the FIBA 3×3 World Tour, the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series and the FIBA 3×3 World Cup, bringing fans closer to the action at the discipline’s biggest events worldwide. FIBA 3x3 Basketball Managing Director Alex Sanchez stated, “3×3 basketball was built to bring the game closer to the fans. Working with L1VE over the next three seasons, we are exploring new ways for audiences around the world to experience the intensity and energetic setting of our events.”
L1VE Chief Commercial Officer David Morgenbesser commented, “3×3 basketball is one of the most thrilling urban sports in the world. One court, non-stop, right in your face. That makes it a natural fit for L1VE. Over the next three years, we want to give fans a new way to be there, courtside, inside the atmosphere and sharing the real game with the people they want beside them, wherever they are in the world.” The L1VE experience is designed to be shared. Fans watch the game live from a courtside perspective, seeing and hearing the action as it unfolds, and can react to every dunk and buzzer-beater alongside the friends they have invited, regardless of where in the world those friends are located. Experience the thrill and excitement of 3x3 global basketball action by downloading the L1VE app on a compatible virtual reality headset at l1ve.com.
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Teves Golf Foundation Sets To Stage 7th Charity Tournament At Canlubang
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| (Image Source: Manila Standard/Gary B. Teves Golf Foundation Inc.) |
Gary B. Teves Golf Foundation Inc. will stage its seventh annual Charity Golf Tournament on September 23, 2026 at the South Course of the Canlubang Golf and Country Club. Registration begins at 5:30 am, followed by a shotgun tee-off at 7:30 am. The tournament will use the Modified Vanguard Scramble format and will be governed by the Rules of Golf of the R&A and the United States Golf Association, along with the local rules of the host club.
Male golfers will play from the white tees while female participants will use the red tees. Players aged 60 to 69 and super seniors aged 70 and above will tee off from the yellow markers. On par-3 holes, each golfer will play his or her own ball from the tee until holing out. For par-4 and par-5 holes, all members of a flight will hit their tee shots before selecting the best drive. Each player will then take the second shot within one club length of the chosen spot, no nearer the hole and from the same course condition. From there, the golfers will play their own balls until completion of the hole. The tournament will follow a point system based on gross scores. A bogey is worth one point, par two, birdie three, eagle four, hole-in-one seven and albatross 10. Players must pick up their balls upon reaching double bogey, which carries no points, to maintain the pace of play. Ties will be broken by comparing the number of holes-in-one, albatrosses, eagles, birdies, pars and bogeys, in that order. If still tied, the committee will use a countback beginning with Hole 18, followed by Holes 17 and 16 and continuing in reverse order. A coin toss will decide the winner if the deadlock remains.
The event will also feature the “Patong = Give” one-putt conversion. Upon reaching the green, a player may declare the option before putting, pick up the ball and record the number of strokes taken to reach the green plus one putt. Each golfer may use the option once on the front nine and once on the back nine. Those who use it will be ineligible for the longest-putt award on that particular hole. Trophies will be awarded to the champions and runners-up with separate honors in the men’s, ladies’ and super senior divisions. The men’s field will also be divided into Classes A, B and C after all scores have been submitted based on the number of participants and distribution of scores. In addition, special prizes will be given for the longest putt, longest drive on Hole 18, most accurate drive on Hole 14, and hole-in-one or nearest-to-the-pin on Hole 17.
