Collegiate esports is trending toward more gaming experiences on mobile platforms. To keep universities in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific at the forefront of the industry, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa hosted Hawaiʻi’s first Mobile Legends: Bang Bang tournament.
Eight collegiate teams from UH Mānoa, University of Guam, Northern Marianas College and Brigham Young University–Hawaiʻi battled it out for the Aloha Collegiate Cup over the past week. The finals, featuring two teams from UH Mānoa and one team from Brigham Young University–Hawaiʻi, were held at UH Mānoa’s iLab on April 21. UH Mānoa’s Varsity X team won over UH Mānoa’s Varsity Y team in a marathon 4-3 final match.
“It’s the first Pan South-Pacific tournament in esports for Mobile Legends and mobile esports,” said UH Mānoa esports Program Director Nyle Sky Kauweloa. “That also marks an important pivot point for us across the state. I hope to make this into a broader league with other universities.”
UH Mānoa esports students also produced the live tournament broadcast on YouTube. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is one of the most successful and widely played mobile esports games globally.
Traditionally thought of as games played on a personal computer, esports has shifted to be played on mobile phones, which has been critical to closing the gap around the accessibility and affordability of technologies for students. According to Statista, revenue of the mobile esports market worldwide is expected to grow from $1.2 billion in 2022 to more than $5.4 billion in 2030.
The UH Mānoa esports program launched the first Mobile Legends: Bang Bang varsity team in North America in fall 2023, giving students who have been brought up in a mobile-first environment more opportunities to join the team. This Aloha Collegiate Cup tournament was one of the ways Kauweloa is expanding participation across Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.
“We’ve been successful, not only with our game, but with the community as well,” said Jerome Carl Castillo, UH Mānoa Mobile Legends: Bang Bang team captain and tournament organizer. “I think that’s what we’re trying to push because we’re not here to just play, we’re here to grow a community. We’re pretty proud of what we’ve achieved so far in these past few months.”
Alison Chuang, a UH Mānoa Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Varsity X player, added, “We’ve had some offline meetups for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and the turnout was pretty great. It was really nice just getting to know people within the community that also play. If you are attending UH Mānoa or any of the UH campuses please come by and see if you would be interested in joining us.”
In Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, players compete in teams of five to defeat the opposing team’s base while controlling their own hero character. Each hero has unique abilities and characteristics, and players can choose from a wide variety of heroes to suit their play style. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang was the second and third most watched esports tournament in 2023 with a peak viewership count of more than five million.
“Collaborating with UH, Northern Marianas College and BYU in this esports tournament marks a significant stride in bridging campuses across the Pacific,” said Ken San Nicolas, University of Guam esports manager. “The greatest obstacle to a long-term goal is often showing commitment and putting components in action. We have now moved past that hurdle. I extend my gratitude to the leadership at UH and Sky Kauweloa for spearheading much of this endeavor. Beyond fostering connections within our esports programs, this initiative has prompted collaboration even among our IT departments, presenting avenues for future partnerships across various fronts.rdquo;
Visit the Aloha Collegiate Cup YouTube page to watch a replay of the tournament.
UH Esports receives funding from the Academy for Creative Media System. Visit the UH Esports team’s X and Discord pages. More stories on UH’s esports program.
—By Marc Arakaki
