The inaugural Samsung x MLBB – Galaxy Gaming Campus Tournament (Galaxy Gaming Academy X Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Campus Series 2025) has successfully concluded, marking a pivotal moment for collegiate esports in Southeast Asia. This groundbreaking tournament brought together the brightest student gamers from Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore in the first-ever inter-country MLBB Campus Series, designed to nurture emerging talent and build a vibrant community of competitive gamers.
The cross-national grand finals, held from June 20-22, 2025, at Taman Anggrek Mall in West Jakarta, known as the “esports shopping mall”, saw team NU Bulldogs from the Philippines emerge victorious after intense competition among the top eight elite teams. The tournament attracted over 1,000 participating teams from four countries, through domestic qualifiers, all vying for the substantial USD40,000 prize pool.
“Samsung is deeply committed to empowering the next generation of esports talent across Southeast Asia,” said Carl Nordenberg, VP, Mobile eXperience Business, Samsung Electronics Southeast Asia and Oceania. “The Galaxy Gaming Academy x MLBB Campus Series reflects our dedication to providing students with the technology, platform, and opportunities they need to excel in competitive gaming. We are proud to support these young athletes as they pursue their esports dreams – and we are excited for a fun and engaging competition between Southeast Asian universities!”
Ray Ng, head of ecosystem, MOONTON Games, emphasized the significance of the partnership: “The collaboration between MOONTON Games and Samsung for the first-ever inter-country MLBB Campus Series Tournament significantly aligns with our commitment to building a strong foundation for aspiring gamers to pursue their esports careers through the tournament. We thank Samsung for this partnership and the Galaxy Gaming Academy that successfully showcased their commitment in the gaming and esports ecosystem while encouraging esports development and student participation across the region.”
NU Bulldogs from the Philippines claimed the championship title and the top prize of USD18,000. NU Bulldogs demonstrated exceptional skill, strategy, and teamwork throughout the tournament, proving themselves as the premier campus MLBB team in Southeast Asia.
FAITH NOVUS Bravehearts from the Philippines, settling for second place, took home USD8,000, while third placer VL Team from Indonesia won USD5,000.
“Taking home the championship title is beyond what we imagined when we first registered. Playing against the best campus teams from Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore has made us all better players and showed us the incredible depth of talent in our region. This tournament proves that student gamers deserve serious recognition and support, and we cannot wait to see how this grows in the future. We hope more students will join us in competitive gaming!” said Patrick Balanquit, coach for the NU Bulldogs.
GGA x MCS 2025 Tournament Highlights
The GGA x MCS 2025 featured a comprehensive three-stage tournament structure. Beginning with open registration from March 15 to April 6, the competition progressed through domestic online qualifiers (April 7-May 11) across all four countries, with Indonesia conducting an additional offline national competition (April 19-May 25) to select its national finalists. The top two campus teams from each country then advanced to compete in the cross-national grand finals in Jakarta.
The competition highlighted the incredible depth of young esports talent across Southeast Asia, with teams displaying advanced tactical understanding, mechanical skill, and coordinated gameplay typically seen at professional levels. The tournament was enhanced by Samsung’s provision of innovative Galaxy mobile devices, including the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, ensuring all competitors had access to optimal gaming performance, display quality, and responsiveness crucial for the professional-level Mobile Legends: Bang Bang competition.
A key highlight of the tournament was the active presence of representatives from professional esports teams, including Dewa United, Onic, EVOS, and Team Liquid, reinforcing the event’s primary objective of providing a structured platform for aspiring student gamers to compete at high levels while gaining invaluable competitive experience. Events like GGA x MCS 2025 are intended to help lower traditional barriers to entry for aspiring esports athletes, creating direct pathways from campus competition to professional careers.
Looking to the Future of GGA x MCS
The success of the inaugural Galaxy Gaming Academy x MLBB Campus Series 2025 establishes a new standard for collegiate esports in Southeast Asia. The tournament has demonstrated that with proper structure, technology support, and community engagement, campus-level esports can achieve professional-quality standards while maintaining the vibrant, passionate spirit of collegiate competition.
The comprehensive engagement journey—from pre-event awareness building through post-tournament talent scouting—has created a blueprint for sustainable esports ecosystem development that other regions can emulate.
For more details on Galaxy Gaming Academy, please visit Samsung’s Game Portal.