esports

Ashlay, Gaimin Gladiators reached MLBB world final; North America lacks events

Ashley “Ashlay” Ann and Gaimin Gladiators finished second at the 2025 Esports World Cup Women’s Invitational, becoming the first North American team to reach an international Mobile Legends: Bang Bang final. The roster included four American players — Ashlay, Nicole “Nicholette” Huang, Cindy “Panda” Zhou and Jessica Qi-Yao “Sayori” Cao — but competitive play for most of them largely stopped after that result. North America offers only a single annual route to international MLBB competition, leaving few regional events to sustain momentum or careers. This gap limits exposure and development for NA pros despite breakthrough international results.

• Gaimin Gladiators placed second at the 2025 Esports World Cup Women’s Invitational, marking the first time an NA team reached an MLBB international final.
• The Gladiators’ core four were American players: Ashley “Ashlay” Ann, Nicole “Nicholette” Huang, Cindy “Panda” Zhou and Jessica Qi-Yao “Sayori” Cao.
• North America’s MLBB ecosystem centers on one annual tournament as the main path to international play, with very few competitive events in between.
• Most players from that finalist roster stopped competing after the 2025 run, illustrating how the lack of regional events stalls player careers and momentum.