Contents
From India’s 2020 Chinese app ban to the 2024 Moba Legends 5v5 relaunch
India bans 59 Chinese apps including MLBB under Section 69A
June 2020
Second wave bans 118 additional Chinese apps
September 2020
Moba Legends: 5v5! appears on Google Play India
April 2024
Mythic Showdown Season 2 held by War Drum Esports and Vizta Games
2025
Mineski Events Team partners with Vizta on Indian events
2025
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), developed by Shanghai-based Moonton Technology, was banned in India on June 29, 2020, as part of a sweeping government action against Chinese-origin applications.12 The game remained officially unavailable for nearly four years until April 2024, when a functionally identical version called Moba Legends: 5v5! appeared on Indian app stores under a Singapore-based publisher, Vizta PTE. LTD.34
On June 29, 2020, India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology invoked Section 69A of the Information Technology Act to ban 59 Chinese applications, citing threats to national security and data privacy.2 MLBB was included alongside TikTok, Clash of Kings, and other widely used apps.2 The decision followed the Galwan Valley military standoff between Indian and Chinese forces earlier that month and was not driven by concerns specific to any individual game.15
A second wave on September 2, 2020, blocked 118 additional Chinese apps, reinforcing the government's position against Chinese-owned digital platforms operating in India.5 Because Moonton is headquartered in Shanghai, MLBB fell squarely within the ban's scope.1
At the time of the ban, MLBB had a growing Indian player base concentrated in the northeastern states, where cultural and geographic proximity to Southeast Asian gaming communities had driven early adoption.1
With MLBB removed from official app stores, Indian players who wished to continue playing resorted to VPNs and APK sideloading to access the game.1 Northeast India remained the primary stronghold of activity, sustained by the region's existing ties to the broader Southeast Asian MLBB ecosystem.1
The ban eliminated India's official esports infrastructure for the title. Indian players could not participate in sanctioned competitions such as the Mobile Legends Professional League (MPL), the Mid-Season Cup (MSC), or the M-series World Championships.16 Community-organized scrims and informal tournaments continued on a small scale, but without publisher backing, prize pools, or broadcast support, the competitive scene operated outside any formal structure.
On April 17, 2024, an app titled "Moba Legends: 5v5!" appeared on Google Play in India.34 The game was published by Vizta PTE. LTD., a Singapore-registered entity, rather than Moonton directly.34 It was functionally identical to MLBB, sharing the same heroes, maps, and gameplay mechanics.4
The official India launch followed on April 24, 2024, and the app later became available on the Apple App Store.3 The release occurred without prior public announcement.3 This approach mirrored strategies employed by other Chinese apps that re-entered the Indian market through alternate corporate entities registered outside China.4
By 2025, Moba Legends 5v5 had established an active esports scene in India. War Drum Esports hosted Mythic Showdown Season 2, powered by Vizta Games, attracting established Indian esports organizations including S8UL, GodLike Esports, RNTX, True Rippers, K9, and Metaniza.1 Community-run leagues with INR prize pools (such as weekly tournaments offering 8,000 INR) supplemented the organized circuit.
Mineski Events Team, the Philippines-based esports organizer, partnered with Vizta to run events in India, providing the kind of institutional support the scene had lacked during the ban years.1 Globally, MLBB had surpassed 1.5 billion installations with 110 million monthly active users, making India a significant potential growth market.6
The Indian scene remains at an early competitive stage relative to established Southeast Asian regions such as the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia, where MLBB has operated continuously with deep publisher investment.16 India's Online Gaming Bill 2025 raised brief concerns within the community, though the legislation primarily targets real-money gaming platforms rather than free-to-play MOBAs.1
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), developed by Shanghai-based Moonton Technology, was banned in India on June 29, 2020, as part of a sweeping government action against Chinese-origin applications.12 The game remained officially unavailable for nearly four years until April 2024, when a functionally identical version called Moba Legends: 5v5! appeared on Indian app stores under a Singapore-based publisher, Vizta PTE. LTD.34
India bans 59 Chinese apps including MLBB under Section 69A
June 2020
Second wave bans 118 additional Chinese apps
September 2020
Moba Legends: 5v5! appears on Google Play India
April 2024
Mythic Showdown Season 2 held by War Drum Esports and Vizta Games
2025
Mineski Events Team partners with Vizta on Indian events
2025
On June 29, 2020, India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology invoked Section 69A of the Information Technology Act to ban 59 Chinese applications, citing threats to national security and data privacy.2 MLBB was included alongside TikTok, Clash of Kings, and other widely used apps.2 The decision followed the Galwan Valley military standoff between Indian and Chinese forces earlier that month and was not driven by concerns specific to any individual game.15
A second wave on September 2, 2020, blocked 118 additional Chinese apps, reinforcing the government's position against Chinese-owned digital platforms operating in India.5 Because Moonton is headquartered in Shanghai, MLBB fell squarely within the ban's scope.1
At the time of the ban, MLBB had a growing Indian player base concentrated in the northeastern states, where cultural and geographic proximity to Southeast Asian gaming communities had driven early adoption.1
With MLBB removed from official app stores, Indian players who wished to continue playing resorted to VPNs and APK sideloading to access the game.1 Northeast India remained the primary stronghold of activity, sustained by the region's existing ties to the broader Southeast Asian MLBB ecosystem.1
The ban eliminated India's official esports infrastructure for the title. Indian players could not participate in sanctioned competitions such as the Mobile Legends Professional League (MPL), the Mid-Season Cup (MSC), or the M-series World Championships.16 Community-organized scrims and informal tournaments continued on a small scale, but without publisher backing, prize pools, or broadcast support, the competitive scene operated outside any formal structure.
On April 17, 2024, an app titled "Moba Legends: 5v5!" appeared on Google Play in India.34 The game was published by Vizta PTE. LTD., a Singapore-registered entity, rather than Moonton directly.34 It was functionally identical to MLBB, sharing the same heroes, maps, and gameplay mechanics.4
The official India launch followed on April 24, 2024, and the app later became available on the Apple App Store.3 The release occurred without prior public announcement.3 This approach mirrored strategies employed by other Chinese apps that re-entered the Indian market through alternate corporate entities registered outside China.4
By 2025, Moba Legends 5v5 had established an active esports scene in India. War Drum Esports hosted Mythic Showdown Season 2, powered by Vizta Games, attracting established Indian esports organizations including S8UL, GodLike Esports, RNTX, True Rippers, K9, and Metaniza.1 Community-run leagues with INR prize pools (such as weekly tournaments offering 8,000 INR) supplemented the organized circuit.
Mineski Events Team, the Philippines-based esports organizer, partnered with Vizta to run events in India, providing the kind of institutional support the scene had lacked during the ban years.1 Globally, MLBB had surpassed 1.5 billion installations with 110 million monthly active users, making India a significant potential growth market.6
The Indian scene remains at an early competitive stage relative to established Southeast Asian regions such as the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia, where MLBB has operated continuously with deep publisher investment.16 India's Online Gaming Bill 2025 raised brief concerns within the community, though the legislation primarily targets real-money gaming platforms rather than free-to-play MOBAs.1
