A popular poll we ran last week (btw thank you all so much!) confirmed something that most Filipino mobile gamers already know, but certainly would always love to discuss: “ML better than LoL”, or how Moonton’s Mobile Legends (ML) is quite ahead in the competition locally compared to Riot Game’s League of Legends (LoL).
Based on the results, ML faced an overwhelming victory against its chief local competitor. While we’ve only asked very broadly which one is better, most of the respondents were able to discuss the matter within different contexts.
Most of the general sentiment is positive – both games are good, so it’s just a matter of playing what you want. This is great for most gamers who are on the fence about which game to pick, as from the looks of it, you can’t go wrong with either.
The most interesting takes though, come when discussing specific aspects of each game.
ML Better Than LoL – Does Ethics Matter?
“ML is a copycat of LoL.” has been a lingering sentiment ever since the game first came out and Riot Games filed their first copyright infringement lawsuit against Moonton back in 2017, and again in 2022. While there never was a conclusion to this ongoing battle, it can’t be denied that Mobile Legends drew a lot of inspiration from League’s artwork and characters.
Still, it didn’t stop players from supporting the game as long as it’s popular enough and gives them a good experience. And to ML’s credit, they’ve been able to capitalize quickly on a gaming audience that LoL hadn’t moved into until later – the mobile market.
ML Better Than LoL – The First Mover Advantage
As repeated by several comments on our poll, they’ve played ML because it is the first good, popular, MoBA that’s available on mobile. Even I still remember when I first made an account for it and was in disbelief that a complete MoBA experience was on my phone. And it was fast, it was fun, and it was free – and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who values these three aspects because ML spread locally like wildfire.
It’s hard to believe that League was a step behind as all of this is happening and by the time Wild Rift – their mobile version of the PC game was announced, ML had already firmly planted its roots in the country, and Riot Games is the one who has to play catch-up.
While it’s a common trend for gamers to jump onto the newest, trendiest thing, it never completely happened in Wild Rift’s case. One of the reasons that have commonly echoed in the poll that makes ML better than LoL is that it didn’t rest on its laurels after grabbing the attention of the Philippine market despite having no competitors yet in the mobile space.
In fact, they’ve doubled down on it – from putting Lapu-Lapu in the game, making the Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao their ambassador and including a hero based on him, and creating the Mobile Legends Professional League which gave birth to local superstars and cemented the country as one of the best in the Southeast Asian region, Moonton has made big steps (and risks) to capture the hearts and minds of their Pinoy fans.
Not to be outdone, Riot promises to make its mark in the country through the recent announcement of their Liga Republika – their local Filipino Professional League with a 1 million-peso prize pool. While it doesn’t sound as committed as the whole infrastructure that Moonton has put in place, it’s nevertheless an assurance that local League fans won’t be left hanging.
ML Better Than LoL – The Bigger Picture
This is because in the grand scheme of things, Riot probably cares a little less because it is kinda winning everywhere else but the mobile market. LoL on PC is still enjoying its immense popularity worldwide, has a more robust esports ecosystem with its Championship Series, and has a more recognizable brand and IP that’s further boosted by its successful foray into other forms of media like what they did with Arcane.
At the end of the day though, it’s still up to the wants and needs of the individual gamer to ultimately decide which is best for them. Graphics, aesthetics, value, community, and of course gameplay play huge parts in this. And it’s also not a zero-sum situation, we can always change our choice depending on how each game is developing.
But for now, at least locally, Mobile Legends is winning.
Do you know who isn’t winning though? Good guys in Wrestling! Find out why in our article below.
