For the first time in history, the all-female MLBB African champions will head to the Esports World Cup (EWC) in Saudi Arabia to compete in the MLBB Women’s Invitational. 

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TUESDAY, 25th MARCH 2025 - Cairo, Egypt – Africa’s leading games publisher, Carry1st, today announces an all-female Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) tournament at Insomnia in Cairo, Egypt. The Carry1st Africa Cup: MLBB Women’s Invitational (MWI) Qualifier will kick off the Carry1st Africa Cup 2025, and also function as the official Esports World Cup (EWC) MWI 2025 Africa Qualifier, with victors qualifying for the MLBB Women’s Invitational at the Esports World Cup 2025 in Saudi Arabia later this year.

As the first event of the Carry1st Africa Cup 2025, it is the first in a series of esports competitions to take place across the continent this year. Carry1st’s inaugural Africa Cup in 2024 hosted top esports pros from across the continent battling for a $15,000 prize pool.

The Carry1st Africa Cup MWI Qualifier will provide a dedicated stage for female gamers to compete and showcase their talents at the highest level. It will unfold in multiple stages: 

• Two online qualifiers, one for Egypt and another for the rest of Africa, will feature 32 teams each, competing in a double-elimination bracket of playoffs and final rounds
• The winners of the qualifiers will go on to compete in a grand final at Cairo’s Insomnia event, where the champions will secure a spot at the Esports World Cup (EWC) in Saudi Arabia later this year

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Key dates:

• Wednesday 26th March: Registration opens on http://cup.carry1st.com/ 
• Wednesday 2nd April 2025: Registration closes for applicants to the MLBB qualifiers
• Friday 4th to Sunday 6th April: Online qualifiers for teams competing from the Rest of Africa category, which covers South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Cameroon, Senegal, Rwanda, Tanzania, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Uganda, Tunisia, Algeria
• Thursday 10th to Saturday 12th April: Online qualifiers for competitors based in Egypt
• Thursday 24th to Saturday 26th April: During Insomnia Egypt, two teams will compete on the esports stage in a single elimination championship final, with the winners booking their ticket to the Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia

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Despite Africa's growing gaming community, the continent remains underrepresented on the global esports stage, with limited participation in major gaming tournaments due to infrastructural and logistical challenges. As it supports Africa’s burgeoning gaming ecosystem, Carry1st is committed to changing that, one tournament at a time. 

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Lucy Hoffman, Co-founder and COO at Carry1st, comments: “I am especially excited for MLBB; it marks the first women’s tournament for the Carry1st Cup and sets the stage for an exciting year ahead, with even more to come. Last year, the Cup was a huge success, and this year, we’re taking it to the next level. Africa has the talent, passion, and drive, and we are committed to providing players with the platform they truly deserve.”

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Ray Ng, Head of Esports Ecosystem at Moonton Games, comments: “MOONTON Games is delighted to join forces with Carry1st to extend our esports initiatives to Africa. We are witnessing a thriving esports ecosystem across the continent and are particularly proud to be able to help talented female players from Africa make their mark on the global stage. This partnership represents our commitment to nurturing diverse talent and creating inclusive competitive opportunities for all players, everywhere.”

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This is the first instalment of the Carry1st Cup 2025, with more tournaments taking place throughout the year. Stay tuned for key timelines, announcements, and the full roadmap as Carry1st continues to redefine Africa’s presence on the global esports stage.

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MLBB has grown into a popular game in the global esports scene and was one of the most-watched titles at the Esports World Cup (EWC) last year, with the 2024 MLBB The MWI 2024 Grand Finals peaking at over 250k viewers. 

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About Carry1st

Carry1st is Africa’s leading publisher of games and digital content. Its mission is to scale awesome content in frontier markets. Carry1st develops, licences, and publishes games and monetizes them effectively with Pay1st, a proprietary payments solution and the Carry1st Shop, their online marketplace. The company has scaled games such as Call of Duty®: Mobile, VALORANT, Mancala Adventures, and Mergedom. Founded in 2018, the company is backed by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Sony, BITKRAFT, Google, and Riot Games.

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About Mobile Legends: Bang Bang

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is one of the most popular mobile Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) games worldwide that brings communities together through teamwork and strategy. With over 1.5 billion installations and 110 million active monthly users, the award-winning game is among the top 10 most played in over 80 countries. With an extensive reach across the Asia Pacific region, the multiplayer is available in 139 countries with an expansive global esports presence.

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About MOONTON Games

Established in 2014, MOONTON is a global video game company dedicated to gaming development, publication, and esports. With more than 1,600 employees worldwide, the company operates offices in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Latin America, and China. It has successfully launched several high-profile mobile games globally and has built long-term relationships with governments and esports organizations in more than 30 countries around the world. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is its current star game and the leading mobile multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game worldwide. For more information, visit https://en.moonton.com.

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For media inquiries, sponsorship opportunities, or more information, please contact:

Frankie McGovern at Nara Communications frankie@naracommunications.com

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