Vivi "Vivian" Indrawaty and the explosion of mobile esports in Southeast Asia

“I hope women’s leagues and teams will inspire more women to pursue esports and prove that skill and effort are more important than gender,” said Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) World Champion Vivi ‘Vivian’ Indrawaty, echoing the mission statement of women’s esports programs around the world.

Indrawaty is a roamer for Team Vitality, who was crowned world champion at the MLBB Women's Invitational 2025 last July. The entire Team Vitality is Indonesian, where MOBAs (multiplayer online battle arenas) are very popular. While League of Legends and DOTA 2 dominate the genre in North America, Europe, and Korea, MLBB is causing a sensation in Southeast Asia.

Mobile Legends Bang Bang is most similar to League of Legends, but the game tends to be much faster than League.

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is extremely popular in Southeast Asia.

Vivi Indrawaty with her cell phone at EWC.

Among the teams that failed to topple Vivian's Team Vitality were several all-Filipino rosters, Team Burma, Team Mongolia, Team Malaysia, and other rosters from around the world. MLBB's mobile availability, combined with the fast-paced nature of the game, means MOBAs have taken off in regions where PC gaming culture is less dominant.

After an enlightening conversation with Maya ‘Caltys’ Henckel, I was curious about women’s participation in esports and the Asian perspective on esports in general.

“In Indonesia, it is somewhat acceptable to be a professional gamer,” explains Indrawaty. “Although this is increasingly recognized as a legitimate career path, there are still people who have a negative view of esports in general.”

Indonesia is changing rapidly as urbanization and economic growth accelerate and patriarchal attitudes begin to relax. “Being a professional female esports athlete does not conflict with traditional gender roles. [in Indonesia]“But because I am a woman, I often feel like women are undervalued.”

Vivian is the second participant in our women's esports interview series. If you'd like to share your perspective and get involved, please feel free to contact us at jack.c@thegamer.com.

Disregard for women is a common social problem in competitive gaming. There are cases where women are eliminated from mixed team preliminaries due to their gender, and there are cases where female professional players are ignored in online play when they reveal their feminine voices.

Vivian looking down at the Camera Esports World Cup

“Yes, unfortunately something happened to me. [misogyny] before. It was difficult at times, but it also motivated me to prove myself and keep improving,” says Indrawaty. She said she faced mild sexism before turning pro and still has negative interactions with non-female teams in the professional field. “Sometimes we face sexism or misogyny, mainly while training against other teams. Because we scrim often [practice] “When playing against men’s teams there are moments where sexism or dismissive attitudes appear, but we try to focus on playing and improving as a team.”

It is this attitude that requires ‘incubators’ such as all-women’s leagues. There are many social obstacles specific to women when it comes to becoming a professional esports player, including social norms, misogynistic behavior or comments, and patriarchal attitudes in male-dominated spaces. The existence of women's leagues allows women to immerse themselves in a professional esports environment without the added burden of having to deal with many of these social obstacles.

“Women’s teams provide a safe space for women to pursue professional esports careers, proving that gaming isn’t just for men,” says Vivian. “Many people are surprised to see all-female teams and leagues doing so well, as it goes against the common assumption that women can’t be as good at games as men. I hope these teams and leagues will inspire more women to pursue esports and prove that skill and effort are more important than gender.”

Gender-Specific Skills

Vivian Flexing Muscles Esports World Cup

One of the challenges of integrating women into esports is that ignorant attitudes toward them persist. A recent example of this involves a League of Legends expert who said that women should not play competitive games while menstruating because they are too emotional to think clearly. This speaks to the social dynamics that impact women seeking to enter professional esports.

“Menstruation affects women differently and has never been a barrier for our team,” Vivian said. “We are practicing, competing and playing without any issues and it has not affected our performance at all. Any suggestion otherwise is just a myth and not based on the actual abilities of professional female athletes.”

Vivian has played on mixed rosters in the past and had a positive experience. Sexism is not ubiquitous in the game, as the hobby skews towards younger people who tend to be more progressive on social issues.

“According to my experience [mixed gender team]As the team focused primarily on skill and performance, I did not encounter any gender discrimination when it came to roster entry. It was a great experience that showed me that talent and dedication are more important than gender in competitive gaming,” she says.

There is no doubt that esports and gaming have a solid foundation on which to build a progressive future. It only takes one misogynistic attitude to change the culture of an organization, but one person speaking out against bias can be just as powerful.

Vivian and Team Vitality have been a dominant presence on the women's MLBB scene, winning nearly every tournament the team has entered. The roster also represented Indonesia at the 2024 Asian Esports Games and the IESF World Esports Championship, winning both competitions. Vivian is excited to play with Team Vitality, but teases, “Who knows what the future holds?” When asked about playing in the mixed Mobile Legends Bang Bang league.

“To all our fans and community, we really appreciate your support so far,” Vivian added, looking to the future. “Please continue to encourage us and encourage us to compete in the women’s competition. Your encouragement really means a lot!”