- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang’s Women’s Invitation is coming up
- And esports org CBZN has launched it’s own female-focused Athena League too
- The league will form the official qualifier for players in the Phillipines
One of the pitfalls of esports is that when it comes to gender representation it always feels one step behind. Trying to give female-oriented organisations and competitions the same representation as men’s has been an uphill battle, but that hasn’t stopped organisations like CBZN Esports from trying with their newly launched Athena League which reinforces an already formidable female presence in MLBB’s esports scene.
The Athena League functions as a female-focused league in the Philippines for the popular competitive game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. The league is intended as an official qualifier for the upcoming Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women’s Invitational taking place at the Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia this year.
The Philippines has already proven to be a major contender when it comes to Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, as team Omega Empress took home the win in the 2024 Women’s Invitational. And this new organisation is intended not just to support those duking it out to qualify for the invitational but to provide wider support for women getting into esports.
Legendary
I think that while it’s often lamented how little there is in the way of female representation in the esports world, a lot of that can be put down to lack of official support. For the longest time, it seems esports was, by default, male despite many female fans and players at the grassroots and amateur level.
So it’s good to see these players getting more in the way of official support, and events like opens and qualifiers help up-and-coming players hone their skills and get the chance to step onto the world stage which might otherwise be closed off to them.
It’s also another feather in the cap of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang which has been following many other esports-heavy releases in pitching in for the Esports World Cup, which it debuted at for its inaugural edition. With MLBB set to make its return with the Women’s Invitational once more.
