As a professional gamer who has spent years grinding through ranked queues, local scrims, and regional qualifiers, I’ll be honest—this moment feels personal. On Monday, 2 March 2026, Vice President of Indonesia Gibran Rakabuming Raka received representatives from MOONTON Games and Indonesian esports athletes at the Vice Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta. The meeting wasn’t just a ceremonial handshake. It reaffirmed the government’s continued support for the national esports ecosystem and the development of young digital talent.

The discussion highlighted how esports has evolved into a major component of Indonesia’s digital and creative economy, creating new career opportunities while strengthening the country’s presence on the global competitive stage. Vice President Gibran emphasized the importance of strengthening the esports ecosystem through talent development, industry collaboration, and the cultivation of professional digital athletes.

Alter Ego Esports coach Kenny Deo captured the mood succinctly. He explained that the Vice President expressed strong support for initiatives that nurture young talent and expand opportunities within the industry. ‘The Vice President conveyed his commitment to supporting esports from various aspects, including strengthening the ecosystem, developing professional players, and expanding talent scouting for the next generation,’ Deo said.

The conversation also touched on something many of us in the community have been saying for years: esports is not merely entertainment. It is a fast-growing professional industry that contributes to Indonesia’s digital economy and international competitiveness. Public understanding still needs to catch up, but meetings like this help close that gap.

Let’s be real—Indonesia has been on an absolute tear. Government support for esports has grown alongside the rapid rise of competitive gaming. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, one of the world’s most widely played mobile esports titles, has become a major pillar of the ecosystem. Indonesia has hosted major international competitions and produced world-class professional teams.

The game flexed its muscle in a big way in January 2026, when Jakarta hosted the M7 World Championship, the flagship global tournament for MLBB esports. According to Esports Charts, the event pulled in more than 5.68 million Peak Concurrent Viewers. That made it the most-watched mobile esports tournament in history. Those numbers are not just vanity metrics—they reinforce Indonesia’s position as one of the world’s leading esports markets.

Metric	Detail
Event	M7 World Championship
Host city	Jakarta, Indonesia
Peak Concurrent Viewers	5.68 million
Record	Most-watched mobile esports tournament in history

Here are a few key takeaways from the meeting:

• 🎯 Talent development: A clear focus on nurturing young players and building professional careers.

• 🏟️ Industry milestone: Jakarta’s M7 World Championship set a historic 5.68 million PCV record.

• 🤝 Government-industry collaboration: More programs are expected outside Jakarta and across Indonesia.

• 💛 Community impact: MOONTON Games is expanding charitable initiatives alongside competitive events.

MOONTON Games Vice President and Head of Publishing and Esports Cherry Xia welcomed the support. She said the Vice President was grateful and excited to see how MLBB and the gaming industry are growing in Indonesia. Cherry added, ‘He also expressed his hope that we can have more collaborations in the future and see programs not only in Jakarta, but expanding to other regions across Indonesia.’

She added that Indonesia has long been a core market for MOONTON Games and will continue to play an important role in the company’s global ecosystem. ‘MOONTON Games has been in the Indonesian market for over 10 years, and this year we will celebrate MLBB’s 10th anniversary. We hope we can continue to grow and collaborate with local partners more deeply in the future. For us, we see ourselves as more than a game company. We feel we have a responsibility to help grow the gaming industry and the internet industry in Indonesia,’ Cherry said.

Beyond competition, MOONTON Games has been putting its money where its mouth is. This year, during Ramadan, the company launched its largest ‘Golden Month’ charity initiative. The campaign aims to raise IDR 200 million to support children battling cancer and underprivileged youth through community participation and in-game activities. It is a reminder that the esports industry can be a force for good beyond trophies and viewership records.

From my seat as a gamer, this is the kind of collaboration that gives me hope. Esports has outgrown the internet cafe. It is now a career path, an economic engine, and a source of national pride. If the government keeps listening and publishers keep investing beyond the capital, Indonesia will not just host world finals—it will keep producing champions. And honestly? That’s a buff this entire region deserves.