Along with technological advances and changing cultural structures, education is now also transforming. The city of Surabaya is now in the spotlight because of its new breakthrough in the world of education by making the popular MOBA game Mobile Legends: Bang-Bang (MLBB) an official extracurricular in public/private schools starting in the 2025/2026 school year.

This innovative step is the result of a strategic collaboration between the Surabaya City Education Office and Moonton Games Indonesia as the MLBB game developer. "This is an educational, fun, and different learning method from other methods. Schools must adapt because the new curriculum will also include AI and coding," said Head of Teachers and Education Personnel Division of the Surabaya City Education Office, Tri Endang Kustianingsih.

Although there is no official data regarding the implementation of E-Sports extracurricular activities, the Surabaya city government with Moonton has held the Mobile Legends: Bang-Bang Teacher Ambassador program. Where a number of teachers from elementary, junior high and high schools, received official training from Moonton. This aims to ensure that teachers are able to facilitate activities with students who are not only teachers/supervisors but also role models in creating a positive, healthy, and educational gaming environment. From this training, it is clear that this training is the government's initial step in preparing for increasingly broad digital-based education.

In fact, education should not only be about academic aspects but also about character building and soft skills. This innovative program is believed that with the right approach, games can be an effective learning medium because it can shape students' character, discipline, sportsmanship, and help students hone soft skills such as teamwork, communication, problem solving, and strategic thinking. Moreover, this program can help students open up career opportunities in the E-Sports industry. Several professional Indonesian athletes, including those from Surabaya, have made achievements in the international arena, so this program can be considered a strategic step to create a superior generation in this field.

Of course, this may raise many questions about ethics and negative views of society towards games, but this program is a concrete form that games do not always have negative impacts. If directed correctly, this program can improve the quality of education and provide opportunities for the younger generation to learn about technology and channel their talents in areas that are not yet widely recognized in the world of formal education.

Compiled by Stephen Wang & Kenneth Gilbert Katiandagho, UKM E-Sports Cow