Visa and MOONTON Games announced a three-year partnership on September 21, naming Visa as the Global Payment Partner for the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) M Series. The deal covers three tournaments: the M8 World Championship in 2027, M9 in 2028, and M10 in 2029.
The M Series is MLBB’s flagship international tournament. Its most recent edition, M7, drew 5.68 million Peak Concurrent Viewers (PCV) in January 2026, according to tracking site Esports Charts, making it the most watched mobile esports tournament recorded to date.
What Visa Cardholders Get
From M8 through M10, Visa cardholders will receive preferential access to M Series tickets. The partnership also includes chances to win VIP Zone access, meet-and-greets with players, and behind-the-scenes tours during the tournaments.
Visa processes payments across more than 200 countries and territories. MOONTON Games says this reach will support ticketing and fan-facing payments as the M Series adds new host regions.
M8 Marks the Tournament’s European Debut
The M8 World Championship will be the first M Series event held in Europe. MOONTON confirmed in January 2026 that the M8 Grand Finals will take place in Istanbul, Türkiye, in January 2027, with the M8 Wild Card stage held in Thailand, also a first for that country. The move is part of a wider five-region esports expansion MOONTON outlined at the M7 Grand Finals, which also included MLBB’s addition to the inaugural Esports Nations Cup and the 20th Asian Games.
Extending the M7 Partnership
Visa’s tie-up with MLBB began at M7, held in Jakarta, Indonesia, from January 3 to 25, 2026. That event featured 22 teams competing for a $1 million prize pool, and ended with Aurora Gaming PH sweeping Alter Ego 4-0 in the Grand Finals for the Philippines’ sixth consecutive M Series title. At M7, Visa cardholders received a discount on regular-sale tickets, and Visa partnered with GCash for a Team Philippines watch party campaign.
The new deal expands that relationship into a standing three-tournament agreement, rather than a single-event sponsorship.
Visa’s Wider MLBB Footprint
Beyond the M Series, Visa has also become an Official Sponsor of MLBB Professional League (MPL) Philippines for Season 18, according to MOONTON’s official announcement. MPL Philippines has produced the Philippines’ M Series representatives in recent years, including Aurora Gaming and Team Liquid PH.
What the Companies Said
Visa Asia Pacific Chief Marketing Officer Danielle Jin said the company sees mobile gaming as a growing space for consumer engagement and wants to build on its existing work with MOONTON and MLBB. Tiger Xu, MOONTON’s Global Head of MLBB Esports, said the M7 partnership showed the value of working with Visa across the fan experience, and described the multi-year deal as a step tied to MLBB Esports’ broader push into new regions.
