China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has approved the planned acquisition of MOONTON Games, the developer of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, by Saudi Electronic Games Holding Company. The decision advances a reported deal worth more than $6 billion and brings the publisher under the corporate structure connected to Savvy Games Group.
According to esports.gg, SAMR completed the approval on 29 October 2026 and published it on 6 November 2026. The acquisition appeared in the regulator’s list of mergers approved without conditions for the period from 26 October to 1 November 2026.
Deal still awaits completion
The regulatory clearance is an important step, but it does not mean that the transaction has closed. ByteDance agreed to sell MOONTON Games to Savvy Games Group in March 2026, and the deal remained incomplete nearly eight months after that agreement was announced.
The SAMR notice names Saudi Electronic Games Holding Company as the acquiring party and identifies Moonton Holdings Limited and Shanghai Moonton Technology Co., Ltd. as the target companies. The notice does not name Savvy Games Group directly. However, the company is the parent entity of Saudi Electronic Games Holding Company, according to a Canadian trademark registration cited by esports.gg.
- Acquirer: Saudi Electronic Games Holding Company
- Target companies: Moonton Holdings Limited and Shanghai Moonton Technology Co., Ltd.
- Reported value: More than $6 billion
- SAMR approval: Completed on 29 October 2026 and published on 6 November 2026
Savvy Games Group is wholly owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The group’s esports-related holdings include ESL FACEIT Group and the Esports World Cup, placing MOONTON within the same Saudi-backed investment ecosystem if the acquisition is completed.
What the approval means for Mobile Legends
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is one of the most prominent mobile esports games in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. MOONTON operates the game and its associated competitive ecosystem, including the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League and the M-Series World Championship.
For players and fans in the Philippines, the immediate development is the change in the game’s prospective ownership structure rather than a new patch, league format or local event announcement. The regulatory decision does not announce changes to Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, its Philippine servers, the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League Philippines, or the game’s esports schedule.
The reported purchase price also remains unconfirmed. Savvy confirmed in March that it had signed an agreement to acquire MOONTON Games from ByteDance, but neither company has disclosed the exact amount. The figure of more than $6 billion is the reported value of the agreement.
ByteDance acquired MOONTON Games in 2021 for approximately $4 billion. The company later revealed plans to restructure its gaming business in 2023. The SAMR approval now removes one regulatory obstacle to the proposed transfer, while the final completion of the acquisition remains pending.
