Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Was the Most Watched Mobile Esports Game in 2022

With the advent of budget smartphones and affordable internet data prices, mobile gaming has experienced tremendous growth over the last few years. Multiple popular mobile titles host tournaments to foster the esports ecosystem of the game. Fans tune in to cheer their favorite players and watch them play their favorite games. According to a report by Escharts, Moonton’s popular mobile multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) title, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), was the most watched mobile esports title of 2022.

Top 5 most watched mobile esports games of 2022 

1. Mobile Legends

Mobile Legends became the most popular mobile title for the second year in a row. Although the game’s airtime increased by 7% in 2022 compared to 2021, its watch time decreased by 14.4%. This decrease in watch time can be attributed to the M4 World Championship, the World Championship of the 2022 Competitive Season, taking place in January 2023.

ML:BB acquired a total of 331.47 Million hours of watch time in 2022. Mobile Legends Professional League (MPL) ID Season 9 recorded the highest peak viewers in 2022, with its finals being watched by more than 2.84M peak viewers.

2. PUBG Mobile

Even though Krafton’s popular battle royale title PUBG Mobile was unavailable in numerous countries across the globe, it secured the second spot in the most watched mobile esports games of 2022. It acquired a total of over 112.22 Million watch hours, which is significantly lower than ML:BB. The 31st Southeast Asian Games PUBG Mobile recorded the highest peak viewers in 2022, with more than 903,011 peak viewers. This indicates how popular the title is in the Asian region. The PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2022 (PMGC 2022), whose main event (grand finals) is yet to commence, has already acquired over 20.9 Million hours of watch time. 

Notably, PUBG Mobile was also the most-watched battle royale esports title of 2022. It also won the prestigious “Best Esports Mobile Game of the Year” at the Esports Awards 2022.

3. Arena of Valor

Arena of Valor is another MOBA game in the list developed by TiMi Studio Group and published by Level Infinite. It is a global adaptation of Honor of Kings, which is a popular title in China. Arena of Valor was aired for 2.88K hours, attracting over 103.9 Million hours of watch time in 2022. Compared to 2021, the game recorded a 25% growth in 2022, which can be attributed to an increase in tournaments. The most popular tournament was the Arena of Glory Winter 2022, the grand final of which recorded over 644.4K peak viewers.

4. Free Fire

Garena’s popular battle royale title, Free Fire, has a huge audience in Brazil and the entire Asian region. Even though Free Fire had a few setbacks in 2022, it managed to record a peak viewership of 1.4 Million viewers during the World Series 2022 Sentosa. Furthermore, it acquired a total of 43.83 Million hours of watch time. 

Notably, the game’s watch time decreased by 68.9% in 2022 as compared to 2021, and the number of tournaments also dropped by almost 67.6%. It also dropped from second place to third. Furthermore, compared to its counterpart, PUBG Mobile, Free Fire lagged by over 63 Million hours of watch time. A part of this downfall can be attributed to the ban on the game in India, which has a tremendous user base.

5. Battlegrounds Mobile India

Surprisingly, Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) – the Indian variant of PUBG Mobile – secured the fifth spot on the list, even though the game is restricted to a single country and was unavailable for around five months in 2022. BGMI acquired over 29.01 Million watch hours, which is 50% more than in 2021. The most popular BGMI tournament in 2022 was the iQOO Battlegrounds Mobile India Series 2021, which recorded a peak viewership of 460,034. The peak viewership of the game in 2022 is also 17% higher than it had in 2021. 

It is important to note that BGMI was launched on 2nd July 2021 and blocked on 28th July 2022. As a result, it was available for almost six months in 2021 and almost seven months in 2022.