Another loaded week in mobile esports wrapped up with roster eliminations, a fresh patch shaking up the MLBB meta, and multiple competitive circuits moving into their next phases across all three major titles. Here is everything that happened from May 11 through May 17.
MLBB: RRQ Hoshi’s Nightmare Continues
MPL ID S17: The King Falls for a Second Straight Season
RRQ Hoshi are officially out of playoff contention in MPL Indonesia Season 17. A 0-2 loss to EVOS in the Classic Derby on May 9 left them needing a miracle, and a follow-up 0-2 defeat to Geek Fam on May 10 sealed their fate. This marks the second consecutive season RRQ have missed the MPL ID playoffs, an outcome that would have been unthinkable two years ago for the organization that won back-to-back titles in S5 and S6.
The roster entered S17 with renewed hope after adding Super Kenn and Yehezkiel, but synergy never materialized. Inconsistent Lord contests and shaky mid-game calls haunted them throughout the regular season. ONIC remain the only team to have clinched a guaranteed playoff spot so far. Week 8 starts May 17, and the middle of the table is still a battlefield.
MPL PH S17 Week 8: Playoff Race Tightens
Over in the Philippines, Week 8 brought more clarity to the standings. Team Falcons PH swept TNC 2-0 on May 15, while ONIC PH edged Omega Esports 2-1 in the evening slot. On May 16, Aurora Gaming PH picked up a critical 2-1 win over Omega, and Team Falcons added another clean 2-0 against AP.Bren. The final day of the week featured ONIC PH vs Team Liquid PH and Aurora vs AP.Bren, both carrying serious implications for playoff seeding ahead of the May 27 postseason start.
Patch 2.1.70 Hits the Live Server
Patch 2.1.70 dropped on the official server on May 14, targeting five heroes in a focused mid-season adjustment. Paquito received the biggest upgrades: his basic attacks no longer carry a reduced damage penalty, and enhanced skills now deal bonus damage to minions, accelerating his wave clear. Chou got smoother combo transitions and stronger late-game ultimate scaling. Belerick picked up a base HP increase and faster Skill 1 responsiveness, making him stickier in team fights. Alice now stacks her passive faster.
On the nerf side, Harley took a hit to his mid-game burst damage, reducing his snowball potential. If you have been abusing his rotations in ranked, expect a rougher time pulling off early-game solo kills.
MCT East Asia x ACL 2026 Heads to Shanghai
MOONTON announced the inaugural MCT East Asia 2026, running May 22-24 at the Star Ring Center in Shanghai. Six teams from China, Japan, Mongolia, and South Korea will compete for four qualification slots to MSC 2026 at the Esports World Cup. GZG and YBG represent China, The MongolZ and The Modun fly the Mongolian flag, Sunset Ravens represent Japan, and Feiyun Esports hold the South Korean spot.
The winner earns a direct berth in the MSC Main Event. Second through fourth place lock in Wild Card stage entries. This is the first time MLBB has been part of the Asian Champions League ecosystem, with MCT EA 2026 serving as a collaboration between Hero Esport, ACLF, and MOONTON.
ALLSTAR 2026: Rolling Tides in Full Swing
The ALLSTAR 2026 event continued rolling through the week. The Pharsa “Seasworn Oracle” skin launched via its exclusive Battlepass on May 17, priced at 399 diamonds for the standard pass and 599 for premium. The Tidal Fishing mini-event went live on May 15, letting players earn bait through tasks and reel in fish of varying rarities until June 28. Collect the full set of Rare fish, and you can redeem an exclusive Deluxe Battle Emote. Ling’s “Phantom Current” skin is next in line, dropping May 24.
PUBG Mobile: Erangel Gets a Mythological Makeover
Version 4.4 Goes Live
PUBG Mobile 4.4 rolled out globally on May 12, bringing the Hero’s Crown themed mode to Erangel. Four major locations, Yasnaya Polyana, Ruins, Ferry Pier, and Mylta, have been redesigned with ancient Greek and Roman architecture. Ruins and Ferry Pier received complete overhauls, while Yasnaya and Mylta got partial revamps centered around trial landmarks.
The standout addition is the Crown’s Abode, a floating island packed with high-tier loot. Teams collect Origin Embers from five themed trials (Prometheus, Spartan, Achilles, Icarus, and Gryphon) to accumulate Glory. The top four squads in Glory gain access to the island, where a Centaur boss named Helios awaits. Defeat him, and your squad earns powerful endgame advantages.
New weapons include the Panzerfaust rocket launcher (now on Erangel, Miramar, Rondo, and Vikendi) and the JS9 SMG as standard ground loot. Snipers and DMRs got buffed with no damage drop-off at range, while shotguns took nerfs to falloff and spread.
Three Collabs Drop Back to Back
The week also brought a wave of brand collaborations. Harley-Davidson’s CVO Road Glide ST arrived on May 13 with themed cosmetics across PC and mobile. Ford’s Motor Cruise event launched the same day, introducing the Mustang GTD and F-150 Raptor R, plus what Krafton calls the game’s first Monster Truck vehicle finish. That event runs through July 7. A Blue Lock anime collab is confirmed for May 22, featuring outfits inspired by Isagi, Bachira, Nagi, and Rin Itoshi.
PMGO S1: Jakarta Venue Locked In
On May 14, Level Infinite confirmed that the PMGO 2026 Season 1 Main Event will take place at the Tennis Indoor Stadium Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia, from June 2-7. The same venue hosted PMGC 2022 and PINC 2018, giving it deep roots in the Indonesian PUBG Mobile community. 32 teams will compete for a $500,000 prize pool across Group Stage, Survival Stage, and Grand Finals. Ticket sales opened the same day.
PMGO South Asia Finals Hit by Storm
The PMGO S1 South Asia Finals in Lahore, Pakistan ran into weather trouble during its opening day on May 14. Heavy rainfall and storm conditions forced organizers to postpone Matches 4 and 5 after completing three games on Day 1. The event continued on subsequent days with an adjusted schedule. Teams from across South Asia are competing for spots in the Jakarta Main Event.
Free Fire: Buriram United Leads the SEA Pack
FFWS SEA 2026 Spring: Knockout Phase 2 Begins
Buriram United from Thailand hold first place in the FFWS SEA 2026 Spring standings after Knockout Phase 1 wrapped up. The Thai squad accumulated 371 points across 24 games, claiming five Booyahs and 215 eliminations. RRQ Kazu sit second with 359 points and three Booyahs, while All Gamers round out the top three at 354 points with a tournament-leading 227 kills across both weeks.
At the other end of the table, EVOS Divine, the EWC 2025 champions, fell to 16th place with just 201 points and one Booyah. The team that looked dominant on the international stage last year is fighting to survive the elimination rounds. Phase 2 kicks off this week with a pool-based elimination format. The top 12 teams advance to the Grand Finals on May 30-31 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The top eight finishers will qualify for the World Cup 2026.
FFWS USA 2026 Summer: Expanded to 24 Teams
The FFWS USA 2026 Summer season confirmed its Survival Stage for May 23-24. This edition expands the field from 18 to 24 teams and introduces a double-elimination bracket format for the Survival Stage, with squads split into two groups of 12 and competing across five maps per match day. 18 teams will advance from this stage to join the top six from FFWS USA 2026 Spring, seeded directly into the Group Stage. The prize pool sits at $30,000 plus $5,000 in bonuses, and the top six teams from Summer earn direct seeding into the Fall qualifier for the FFWS Global Finals.
Free Fire Young Challenger 2026
The Free Fire Young Challenger 2026 Clash Squad event is scheduled for May 19-20, giving the next generation of competitive Free Fire players a platform ahead of the summer circuit.
The Week Ahead
This week is stacked. MCT East Asia kicks off in Shanghai on May 22, MPL ID S17 enters its final regular season week, FFWS SEA Knockout Phase 2 begins its elimination rounds, and the PUBG Mobile x Blue Lock collab goes live. The mobile esports recap for May 18-24 should be even busier.
