Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), commonly referred to simply as Mobile Legends (ML), is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game developed and published by Moonton, a subsidiary of ByteDance. Since its release in 2016, MLBB has been free-to-play and is monetized through purchasable character and cosmetic customization. The game is primarily played on smartphones and tablets and is available for iOS and Android.

In its core modes, Classic and Ranked, the game places two teams of five players against each other in real time, with matchmaking usually taking 20 to 60 seconds and matches lasting between 10 and 30 minutes on average. Following the classic MOBA format, players compete across three lanes, aiming to destroy the opposing base while defending their own and securing objectives to gain an advantage. Outcomes are determined by player skill, strategy, and teamwork rather than paid progression. The game also features a Brawl mode, in which teams compete on a single lane using randomly assigned heroes in shorter, fast-paced matches, typically played casually or to complete in-game tasks.

Following its success, Moonton has tapped into the esports scene with the creation of several regional tournaments dubbed as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) that serves as a qualifier for the Mobile Legends World Championships from teams worldwide. The game is particularly popular in Southeast Asia and was among the six titles selected for the inaugural esports medal event at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games). It has since continued as a featured title at the 2021 and 2023 editions, and is also confirmed for inclusion in 2025.

Originally titled Mobile Legends: 5v5 MOBA, the game was first released in 2016 and became widely popular, as it was the first fully mobile-based MOBA with no direct competition. It however faced some criticism for its perceived similarities to League of Legends, which at the time had no official mobile version. As a result, Riot Games filed lawsuits against Moonton for alleged copyright infringement in 2017 and 2022. While they were awarded some damages, they failed to have the game removed. A 2022 lawsuit in the United States was dismissed, with the court ruling that the case should be heard in China. Ultimately, Riot Games and Moonton reached a settlement in 2024, resolving all intellectual property disputes. In 2020, the game was banned in India along with 58 other Chinese applications after the 2020 China–India skirmishes, although it remains widely played through the use of virtual private networks (VPNs). That same year, the game crossed 1 billion downloads worldwide. In 2025, the game and other apps was briefly affected by the United States' restrictions on TikTok due to its association with ByteDance. The ban has since been lifted in the United States.

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game designed for smartphones and tablets. The game is free-to-play and is only monetized through in-game purchases such as characters and skins. Each player can control a selectable character, called a Hero, with unique abilities and traits. There are six roles that define the main purpose of heroes: Tank, Marksman, Assassin, Fighter, Mage, and Support. These roles determine the responsibilities of players for their respective teams. Players can also set specific builds for heroes which include in-game items and emblems.

The two main modes in the game are Classic and Ranked. In Ranked, two teams of five players go against each other in real-time. Players will be matched in correspondence with their current ranking. There are seven ranks in the game with Warrior being the lowest followed by Elite, Master, Grandmaster, Epic, Legend, and the highest rank, Mythic. Mythic itself has sub-ranks which are Mythical Honor, Mythical Glory, and Mythical Immortal. A player can only invite and form a team with other players of similar rank or players that are one rank higher or lower.

Taking down the opposing base is the main goal to achieve victory. There are three lanes in the game: The gold lane (top), exp lane (bottom), and the mid lane. Depending on what side of the map (blue or red) a player starts on, the gold and exp lanes will be switching places. Between each lane is the jungle. The jungle can be divided into four parts: two between the enemy's lanes and two between a player's team lanes. The jungle has different creeps and monsters that offer buffs, experience, and gold.

A player cannot attack the enemy base directly without taking down opposing turrets in at least one lane first. Each lane has three turrets that shoot at heroes and deal a ton of damage. To attack them without taking damage, a player needs help from their team's minions. Minions constantly spawn at the teams' bases and travel down along each lane. The team to successfully destroy all the turrets in one or all lanes will increase their chances of destroying the opposite team's base.