Philippines' Smart Omega Empress Wins MLBB Women's Invitational 2024

A new era dawns for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) women's esports. The Philippines' Smart Omega Empress (OMGE) has dethroned the stalwarts, Team Vitality (VIT), to claim the MLBB Women's Invitational (MWI) 2024 title.

This victory marks the first time a Filipino team has won a tournament at the Esports World Cup. The all-Filipino squad executed a clean sweep over their Indonesian rivals in the Best-Of-Five (BO5) Grand Finals, ending VIT's 24-match winning streak dating back to 2021.

Smart Omega Empress wins MLBB Women's Invitational 2024

The Rewards of Victory

Along with the crown, OMGE takes home USD 180,000 of the USD 500,000 prize pool, the largest-ever purse in women's esports. Sheen "Shinoa" Perez was declared the Finals Most Valuable Player (FMVP), earning an additional USD 50,000.

A Global Stage for Women in Esports

The MWI is the biggest MLBB esports tournament for female athletes, aiming to provide a platform for women to pursue their esports ambitions. The MWI 2024 was held at the Amazon Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking the first time the tournament was hosted outside Southeast Asia as part of the inaugural Esports World Cup. The event brought together 12 international teams from around the world.

The Champions' Lineup

Smart Omega Empress is composed of Gold Laner Sheen "Shinoa" Perez, Jungler Kaye "Keishi" Alpuerto, Mid Laner Rica "Amoree" Amores, EXP Laner Gwyneth "Ayanami" Diagon, and Roamer Mery Christine "Meraaay" Vivero. The team is led by Coach Salman "KingSalman" Macarambon.

A Dream Come True

OMGE Roamer, Mery Christine "Meraaay" Vivero, shared her joy during the post-match press conference: “We want to give honor to our country. I hope we made our kababayans (countrymen) proud, including those who went to the venue to support us. It feels like a dream for all of us. We would like to take our hats off to Team Vitality who gave us a good fight. We can already call ourselves world champions."

She encouraged aspiring female MLBB players, saying, “Continue what you're doing, especially if it is something that you love. We started from scratch, always almost losing every time, but we continued playing because we felt like this is something we love."

Record-Breaking Viewership

The third edition of the MWI smashed the tournament's previous viewership records. The MWI 2024 Grand Finals achieved 265,117 Peak Concurrent Viewers (PCV), according to Esports Charts, surpassing the previous benchmark of 179,024 PCV set at MWI 2023.

Industry Insights

“The MWI 2024 has achieved a great viewership for mobile women's esports. The participation of the Indonesian team in the final played a significant role in it, as well as the substantial prize pool, which is one of the largest in women's esports history. The fact that it's now among the top three most viewed mobile women's esports events, together with the 32nd SEA Games and MWI 2022, highlights the immense growth and increasing interest in women's competitive gaming,” shared Artyom Odintsov, Co-Founder and CEO of Esports Charts.

A Bright Future for Women's Esports

Ray Ng, Head of Esports Ecosystem at MOONTON Games, said: "The competitive women's esports scene has taken a huge step forward with the MWI 2024. We believe that esports is for everyone, so we're delighted to have given the world's best female athletes the stage and #TimeToShine. We'd also like to thank all of our fans who cheered the roof off the Amazon Arena."

Smart Omega Empress's triumph at the MLBB Women's Invitational 2024 not only brings pride to the Philippines but also marks a significant milestone in the world of women's esports. As the first Filipino team to win at the Esports World Cup, OMGE's victory will inspire a new generation of female gamers to pursue their dreams in the competitive gaming arena.