Can MLBB face another ban in the US?

Mobile Games

January 24, 2025

Yusuf Ahmed

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) was temporarily unavailable for users in the United States (US) amidst the TikTok ban saga, which extended to all ByteDance properties. ByteDance is the parent company of Nuverse-owned MOONTON, the dev behind MLBB.

However, as President Trump took office and signed an executive order granting TikTok a 75-day extension, the application was back along with MLBB and other banned games. However, with TikTok only being granted a 75-day extension, can MLBB get banned once again in the US? We take a look here.

Image Credits: MOONTON

MLBB US ban once again a possibility? Here’s what we know

Notably, President Trump hasn’t “saved” TikTok. He has also only allowed a 75-day additional period for ByteDance to comply by selling the app to a US-based company. The president has also stated the possibility of a 50-50 partnership between the original owners and a US company.

It remains to be seen if ByteDance complies with this. The company had previously ignored calls to sell the app to avoid a ban.

Therefore, it can be assumed that the situation for MLBB is the same. The Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA) has called for a ban on all ByteDance properties, which is the enforcing act for the permanent suspension.

So, the answer to the question of whether MLBB can be banned again in the US is yes.

It remains to be seen if a deal for TikTok is figured out which might make the United States consider an exception for other applications since the ban is focused on the social media platform. That remains a huge “if,” though.

The easiest way to avoid a ban would be to sell MLBB, or its developer MOONTON, to a non-China-based company. While this was something ByteDance was considering back in 2023 as it shifted its focus away from gaming, that is no longer the case.

So far, MOONTON hasn’t commented on the situation other than acknowledging the initial suspension and an in-game notice announcing that MLBB was back in the US.

In the notice, MOONTON said that the game was back after a “brief pause.” It also gave a lot of rewards to players to compensate for the downtime.

Things will be clearer in the future. For now, you can continue playing MLBB in the US.