Editor’s note: This press release is sponsored by Smart and was handled by BrandRap, the sales and marketing arm of Rappler. No member of the news and editorial team participated in the publishing of this piece.

As part of its thrust to bring the best mobile gaming experience to Filipinos, mobile services provider Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) has announced its continued partnership with Shanghai-based international gaming developer MOONTON Games as its official telco partner for all Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Pro League (MPL) Philippines tournaments in 2022. 

The year’s partnership – which covers MPL-PH Season 9 on February 18, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Southeast Asia Cup, MPL-PH Season 10 in August, and the M4 World Championship – marks half a decade of collaboration between the two companies, who share the same mission in cultivating the Filipinos’ passion for gaming through amazing experiences. 

“Our partnership with MOONTON Games over the past five years has resulted in the tremendous growth of esports in the Philippines as well as the recognition of Filipino esports athletes in the global arena. As such, we embrace this opportunity to continue our collaboration and enable our subscribers to enjoy the country’s most popular mobile game powered by the country’s fastest mobile network,” said Jane J. Basas, SVP and Head of Consumer Wireless Business at Smart. 

“We are glad to be partnering once again with Smart. We believe that our values and mission to grow the esports scene in the Philippines are aligned with them,” said Logan Shaw, Esports Country Head, MOONTON Games Philippines. 

MPL Season 9 ‘Lakas ng Pinas’ 

Smart’s partnership with MOONTON Games is set to kick off with MPL-PH Season 9 on February 18. This season’s theme, “Lakas ng Pinas,” will showcase eight of the country’s best Mobile Legends: Bang Bang teams – Blacklist International, Bren Esports, ECHO Philippines, Nexplay EVOS, ONIC Philippines, RSG Philippines, Smart Omega, and TNC Pro Team. 

MPL-PH Season 9 – from regular season matchups all the way to the playoffs and finals – will be available to stream on Smart’s official Facebook page, enabling mobile gaming fans and enthusiasts to catch the matches on the go and root for their favorite ML teams. As a treat, Smart is also giving away special prizes to those watching the games. 

As the country’s top esports patron, Smart also enables subscribers to pursue their passion for gaming with GIGA Games, a data pack that gives Smart and TNT subscribers 2 GB of data every day for seven days to access their favorite mobile games like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, plus 2 GB of open-access data for only P99. 

Smart subscribers can register to GIGA Games via the GigaLife App, which is downloadable on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and Huawei Mobile Services. Subscribers can also avail of the offer by dialing *123# and choosing GIGA Games.

Philippines’ fastest 5G mobile network                

Smart’s partnership with MOONTON Games is part of its longstanding commitment to supporting the growth of Philippine esports through tournaments, strategic partnerships, and relevant products and services for mobile gamers. 

Filipino gamers can enjoy the best mobile gaming experience on 5G devices powered by Smart, the fastest 5G network in the Philippines as reported by Ookla®, the global leader in mobile and broadband intelligence. 

Ookla declared Smart as the country’s fastest 5G mobile network and the winner of its Speedtest Awards for Q3-Q4 2021 with a Speed Score of 201.95, while its closest competitor posted a Speed Score of 116.08. 

To bag this award, Smart posted a median download speed of 218.82 Mbps and a median upload speed of 22.46 Mbps, while its closest competitor posted a median download speed of 116.92 Mbps and a median upload speed of 10.81 Mbps. 

For more information on Smart’s esports events, follow its official accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. – Rappler.com