MANILA, Twisted Minds has officially cut ties with BEAR Esports just hours after the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Development League Philippines (MDL-PH) made a big decision against five of the team’s players for breaking league rules.
Twisted Minds confirmed the end of its partnership with BEAR Esports on Monday night. The organization said it has a “zero-tolerance stance toward breaches of competitive integrity.” It also made it clear that the players involved will never be able to represent Twisted Minds in any way again.
MDL-PH Hands Down Two-Year Ban
The news came after MDL-PH banned the Twisted Minds BEAR players for two years, which meant they couldn’t play in any Moonton-sponsored events, such as the MPL and MDL.
The statement said, “Twisted Minds condemns all forms of match-fixing, cheating, or conduct that compromises competitive integrity.” “We are putting in place stricter rules for oversight and compliance for all future academy affiliations to protect the values of our organization and the esports community as a whole.”
This strong stance not only shows the league’s commitment to fair play, but it also shows how organizations are under more and more pressure to be responsible for their developmental programs.
Echoes of Blacklist–Team Lunatix Fallout
The move is also similar to Blacklist International’s choice to end its relationship with Team Lunatix during MDL-PH Season 2 in 2023 after the latter got into trouble. For the rest of the season, Blacklist ran the academy roster. This is something that Twisted Minds may now be thinking about.
What’s Next for Twisted Minds?
It’s not clear yet if Twisted Minds will directly run its MDL slot or look for another partner in the future. There is no doubt that the ruling and the fallout that followed will make their season even harder.
Twisted Minds is currently in last place in their group with a 0-3 record. They will go into the Group D seeding rounds with a lot of uncertainty.
Twisted Minds is at a very important turning point with this decision. It needs to rebuild its development pipeline while staying true to its values. For the larger MLBB community, it sends yet another message: results will always come after competitive integrity.
