Competitive gaming is starting to take on a more formal role at Mayasari Plaza Tasikmalaya, where 24 teams gathered for the Mobile Legends Championship 2026. The event marked more than a simple tournament, as the mall and MDR Official positioned it as an early step toward building an esports ecosystem in Tasikmalaya and the surrounding region.
The competition also reflected a bigger ambition: turning the shopping center into a place where young players can develop their skills, find recognition, and meet a community that now sees gaming as part of sport. Participants came from Kota and Kabupaten Tasikmalaya, Ciamis, Banjar, and Garut, showing that the event drew interest beyond one city.
A stage for talent development
MDR Official representative Denden said the tournament was designed to give Mobile Legends players room to grow. He viewed the mall setting as an opportunity to gather talent that has not yet had a similar platform.
The long-term goal is not limited to one event. Denden said the competition is intended to identify players who can be prepared for higher-level tournaments, including Pekan Olahraga Daerah and Porprov.
High pressure from the opening matches
The event used a knockout system with a best-of-three format, so each team needed two wins out of three games to advance. The bracket moved through three preliminary rounds, quarterfinals, semifinals, the grand final, and a third-place match.
That structure made the pace fast, but it also kept the competition intense. It gave every team a chance to show its quality quickly, while leaving little room for mistakes.
Experienced names raise the level
The field was not made up of amateur players alone. Denden noted that several participants already had experience at national and professional levels, which made the matchups harder to predict.
Among the competitors were players who had won at Pekan Olahraga Nasional, players who had appeared in Liga 2 MDL, champions of Liga Pelajar Priangan Timur, and regular names in offline tournaments. Their presence lifted the competitive level from the start.
Open door for newer players
Even with many seasoned participants, the tournament remained open to amateur players. Denden said they were given the chance to join because they also want to improve and gain match experience.
That mix of levels showed how esports can grow through different stages at once. New players and experienced names shared the same stage, creating a setting where development and competition could happen together.
The organizers also added three screens for live viewing, which created a more active atmosphere around the matches. According to Denden, this was the first time that format had been used in one of their tournaments.
Mayasari Plaza’s broader esports ambition
The strong response from participants reinforced the belief that esports is gaining wider acceptance among young people. Because of that, MDR Official and Mayasari Plaza plan to bring back similar events so players continue to have a place to compete and improve.
Their hope is for the mall to become known as an esports center in Priangan Timur, and eventually in Tasikmalaya itself. That would give young people who want to pursue gaming as a sport a clearer place to train and test their abilities.
MDR Official is also preparing a Liga Pelajar event scheduled for August. The broader series of activities is expected to produce more regional esports athletes who can compete at the West Java and national levels.
Source: radartasik.id
