Esports is more than the games we play, it’s also the community we build.
The world of esports offers many opportunities for people of all types and capabilities and that’s what Moonton Cares aims to show.
As the corporate social responsibility arm of Moonton Games, it has championed several causes in education, diversity, and equity throughout the year. These include the production of M5 World Championship merchandise under Handcrafted by Harl’s, educational workshops with the MPL-PH Press Corps, and a Creator Academy in collaboration with TikTok.
“We are thrilled to work with like-minded partners to create spaces where everyone can seize opportunities, regardless of gender or background,” stated Theon Hsu, Moonton Games Head of CSR. “Diversity brings great opportunities, and we are looking forward to empowering the underrepresented.”
Handcrafted by champions, for champions
Moonton Cares collaborated with Handcrafted by Harl’s, to develop exclusive M5 and Mobile Legends branded coin purses, bags, and wallets which were produced by Persons with Disabilities (PWD). These carried the M5 logo and were sold at the M5 World Championship venue.
Founder Harley “Harl” Dave Beltran is an advocate for dwarfism awareness. Together with partners Ronald Polo, an expert leather craftsman, and JKhriez Pastrana, they built a productive space for PWDs.
“We would like to thank Moonton Cares for providing us a platform to showcase what our PWDs can do,” says Harl. “Programs like these help us debunk the stigma about PWDs and further promote inclusivity in the workspace. Lastly, thank you for empowering me to empower others.”
“At Moonton Cares, fostering a diverse ecosystem is important to us. We are one with Harl in growing awareness for demographics that the industry has seemed not addressed yet by opening a platform to share their inspiring stories and provide livelihoods. This is just the beginning of our long-term commitment towards diversity, equity, and inclusivity,” says Theon.
“The NCDA supports Moonton Cares for the numerous programs that they have implemented to cater to the underrepresented sector of our community. We share the same vision of providing opportunities for everyone, regardless of their capabilities. They are a vital part of our nation building,” shared Exequiel Francisco, Deputy Executive Director, National Council on Disability Affairs.
The next generation of legends
Partnering with the MPL Philippines Press Corps, Moonton Cares mounted the M5 Esports Journalism Workshop.
The workshop involved a series of lectures led by Filipino esports reporters to hone the skills of aspiring writers. Around 100 participants were given lessons about basic journalism writing and feature writing in esports. They were also taught esports and gaming lingos, mobile journalism, side stories writing, and media ethics. The students were tasked to cover the tournaments and work with local media publications to have their pieces published.
For Indonesia, more than 100 students from five universities in Jakarta, Bandung, and Jogjakarta, received scholarships, mentorship, and internship opportunities. Moonton Cares also established a Creator Academy with TikTok. This project provided hundreds of gaming content creators with social media knowledge and tools. This helped them create social media content that resonated with their fans and can help them grow their own community.
In Cambodia, Moonton Cares worked with the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports, providing them insights on how to participate in the esports scene. They provided them access to tournament operations during MSC 2023, giving them a first-hand look at how such events are run.
This year also saw the continuation of the first female league in Indonesia. The league welcomed over 200 female teams and over 1,500 players across various Mobile Legends events this year. In partnership with the Woman’s Star League (WSL), the league helped establish a level playing field for men and women in the Mobile Legends esports and gaming world.
If you want to learn more about Moonton Cares and Moonton Games, you can visit their page.
Banner image from Moonton Games.
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