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

“I hope women's leagues and teams inspire more women to take up esports and prove that skill and hard work mean more than gender,” said Vivi 'Vivian' Indrawaty – Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) World Champion – reflecting the mission of women's esports programs around the world.

Indrawaty is a Roamer for Team Vitality, the team crowned world champions at the 2025 MLBB Women's Invitational back in July. All of Team Vitality is Indonesian, where the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) is extremely popular. While League of Legends and DOTA 2 dominate the genre in North America, Europe and South Korea, MLBB is a sensation in Southeast Asia.

Mobile Legends Bang Bang is most similar to League of Legends, although games tend to be much faster than in League.

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is huge in Southeast Asia

Among the teams that failed to take down Vivian's Team Vitality were several full Philippine rosters, a Burmese team, a Mongolian team, a Malaysian team and other rosters from around the world. MLBB's availability on mobile, combined with the fast-paced nature of the games, means MOBAs have taken off in regions where PC gaming culture is less dominant.

After my enlightening conversation with Maya 'Caltys' Henckel, I was curious about the Eastern perspective on women's participation in eSports, and eSports in general.

“Being a professional player is accepted in Indonesia to a certain extent,” explains Indrawaty. “Although it is becoming more recognized as a legitimate career path, there are still some people who have a negative view of eSports in general.”

Indonesia is changing rapidly, with patriarchal attitudes beginning to soften as urbanization and economic growth accelerate. “Being a professional female eSports player does not conflict with traditional gender roles [in Indonesia]but I often feel that women are underestimated because we are women.”

Vivian is the second participant in our Women in Esports interview series. If you want to share your perspective and participate, please contact jack.c@thegamer.com.

Dismissive attitudes towards women are a common social problem in competitive gaming. There are instances where women are denied tryouts for mixed teams because of their gender, and professional female players are ignored in online games when they reveal their feminine voice.

Vivian looks down on camera Esports World Cup

“Yes, unfortunately I have experienced [misogyny] before. It was challenging at times, but it also motivated me to prove myself and keep improving,” says Indrawaty. She says she faced casual sexism before turning pro, and still has negative interactions with non-female teams in the professional realm. “Sometimes we encounter sexism or misogyny, mostly during training sessions against other teams. Because we often scrim [practice] against men's teams there are times when sexism or dismissive attitudes come up, but we try to stay focused on playing and improving as a team.”

It is these attitudes that require “incubators” like all women's leagues. There are many female-specific social barriers to becoming a professional eSports player, including societal 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 pressure of dealing with many of these social barriers.

“Women's teams provide a safe space where women can pursue professional esports careers, proving that gaming is not just for men,” says Vivian. “Many people are surprised to see all women's teams and leagues doing 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 inspire more women to get into esports and prove that skill and hard work matter more than gender.”

Skill across gender

Vivian Flexing Muscles Esports World Cup

One of the challenges of integrating women into eSports is the persistent nature of ignorant attitudes towards women. A recent example of this is a professional from League of Legends who said that women should not play competitive matches while menstruating because they become too emotional to think clearly. It's indicative of the social dynamics that affect women trying to break into professional eSports.

“Periods affect women in different ways, and for our team it's never been a barrier,” Vivian tells me. “We train and play competitively without a problem, and it doesn't affect our performance at all. Comments suggesting otherwise are just based on myths, not the actual capabilities of female pro players.”

Vivian has played on mixed lists before and she has had positive experiences. Sexism is not widespread in gaming, as the hobby is skewed towards younger people who tend to be more progressive on social issues.

“From my experience at a [mixed gender team]I didn't encounter any sexism when it came to getting a spot on the roster, as the team focused primarily on skill and performance. It was a great experience that showed me that talent and commitment matter more than gender in competitive gaming, she says.

There is no doubt that eSports and gaming have a solid base to build a progressive future on. It only takes one misogynistic attitude to change the culture of an organization, but just as much, one person speaking out against prejudice can have an equally powerful effect.

Vivian and Team Vitality are extremely dominant in the women's MLBB scene, winning almost every tournament the team has competed in. The roster has also represented Indonesia at the 2024 Asian Esports Games and the IESF World Esports Championship, winning both. Vivian is ecstatic to play with Team Vitality, but she teases, “Who knows what the future holds?” when asked about playing in mixed gender Mobile Legends Bang Bang leagues.

“To all our fans and the community, thank you so much for your support so far,” adds Vivian, looking ahead to the future. “Please continue to cheer us on and be a source of motivation as we compete in all the women's tournaments. Your encouragement really means a lot!”