Jakarta, 14 June 2026 – Deputy Minister of Creative Economy/Deputy Head of the Creative Economy Agency, Irene Umar, attended the Grand Final of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League Indonesia Season 17 (MPL ID S17) held at the Jakarta Velodrome. On the occasion, the Deputy Minister reaffirmed the government's support for the development of the esports industry, which has become an important catalyst for Indonesia's national creative economy ecosystem.
Deputy Minister of Creative Economy, Irene Umar, delivered her remarks at the Grand Final of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League Indonesia Season 17 (MPL ID S17) held at the Jakarta Velodrome on Sunday (14 June 2026).
"MPL is not merely a competition; it serves as a creative playground for creative economy players to have a stage where they can showcase their talents and create. Initiatives like this demonstrate that esports not only produces achievements but also gives rise to stories, characters, and Intellectual Property (IP) that can evolve into value-added creative works," said the Deputy Minister on Sunday (14/6).
Irene emphasized that the concept of a Creative Playground is inclusive and relevant to everyone. At MPL ID S17, this concept was brought to life through a collaboration involving SUGA (Surya Garuda), the official mascot of MPL Indonesia. SUGA is the result of a collaboration between the Ministry of Creative Economy, MPL Indonesia, and Tale X, aimed at bringing Indonesia's modern culture to the global esports stage.
Dok. Biro Komunikasi Kementerian Ekonomi Kreatif/ Badan Ekonomi Kreatif.
"Creative Playground is relevant to everyone. The goal is to ensure that young people who aspire to become esports players or pursue careers in the esports industry no longer find it difficult to convince others that it is perfectly acceptable to be part of esports, because it is an industry with promising career opportunities," she explained.
Joshua Budiman, Co-Founder and Director of Tale X, stated that SUGA represents the spirit of esports athletes, particularly Mobile Legends players in Indonesia.
"It is time for Mobile Legends in MPL ID to have a character that represents the spirit of Indonesian esports. We hope this character will become a symbol of passion and determination for esports players across Indonesia," said Joshua.
Echoing this sentiment, Martinus H. Manurung, Head of Esports Business Development at Moonton Games, described Creative Playground as a manifestation of collaboration aimed at expanding the reach of esports and bringing it closer to the broader public.
Dok. Biro Komunikasi Kementerian Ekonomi Kreatif/ Badan Ekonomi Kreatif.
"We recognize that for esports to grow further within society and move beyond the gaming bubble, a spirit of collaboration is essential. One example is by tapping into the world of Intellectual Property and expanding into fashion through this collaborative jacket initiative, which will be worn by BTR and ONIC at the Esports World Cup (EWC). Through this collaborative spirit, we hope to advance Indonesia's esports industry together," said Martinus.
Also present at the event was Shinta Danuardoyo, President Director of Todak.
Kiagoos Irvan Faisal
Head of Bureau of Communications
Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency
