Meii on the Philippines in MLBB: “It’s a very strong region, but that doesn’t mean we’re weaker.”
During the group stage of the 2026 MLBB Mid Season Cup, we spoke with Guangzhou Gaming’s roamer, Meii. In an interview with OFFSTAGE, Zhou compared China to the top MLBB regions and assessed the level of competition on the international stage.
Hi! First off, if you don’t mind, could you tell our readers how you got started playing MLBB professionally?
Early in my career, I was a pro player in a different game. Then an MLBB coach found me and messaged me, saying I could join their team.
The Chinese MLBB pro scene continues to grow, and teams from your region are performing better every year—SAETA even made it to the playoffs at MWI. Do you feel like you’re getting stronger and will be able to compete with the top teams from the Philippines and Indonesia in the future?
I think there’s still a gap between us and them. It’s a very strong region, but that doesn’t mean we’re weaker. We have our strengths, and they have theirs. We just need to make the most of our advantages, and then we’ll be able to compete with them on equal footing. If we build our gameplay around our strengths, we can still compete with them at the same level.
How would you describe the playing style of Chinese teams compared to traditional Southeast Asian strategies? Is there anything that clearly sets a Chinese team apart from opponents from other regions?
I was once coached by the coach of Team Falcons PH. For example, Filipino coaches focus more on developing individual players—bringing out their talents and skills. We Chinese coaches, on the other hand, pay more attention to micromanagement: we establish a clearer plan or strategy to help players improve through it. These are different approaches.
The Mobile Legends client in China is slightly different from the international version of the game. How noticeable is this, and do you ever find it difficult to adapt after matches in your home region?
Actually, for competitions and tournaments, we use the same global version. We also train on the national servers—the patches there are no different; everything is the same. The only difference is in the skins.
This season, MOONTON has combined China with other regions in the additional MCT EA tournament. Do you like the new format with more international matches, and how would you rate the debut tournament in Shanghai?
I’m glad the East Asia region has been added. I think the teams in this region are pretty close in skill level—we’re all roughly on the same level—and MOONTON did a really good job organizing the tournament experience. Everything was very well organized in Shanghai, and it all went great.
You made it to the biggest tournament of the season and played against teams from all over the world. How much harder was it to play here compared to your domestic league?
Yes, playing against teams from all over the world was much harder. Of course, the competition is much more serious and intense, because before we were in the M7 Wild Card and also in the MCT EA, but we still didn’t have the opportunity to compete often against top regions like Southeast Asia, where there are many championship-caliber teams that we’re facing. So, of course, it’s much harder here.
