NAVI banners Philippines as lone bet at MWI 2026

The road back to the top of the international stage runs through Paris for NAVI, which enters the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women's Invitational (MWI) 2026 with hunger fueling its campaign as the Philippines' lone representative.

Haunted by two painful international losses last year, NAVI is out to rewrite its story at the MWI, which is among the marquee events of the Esports World Cup (EWC) slated this month in the French capital.

NAVI endured two heartbreaking international exits in 2025. The Filipina squad first crashed out of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women's Invitational (MWI) after suffering a 0-2 quarterfinal sweep at the hands of Gaimin Gladiators as they were unable to defend the title it won in 2024 while still competing under the Omega Empress banner.

Months later, the same core represented the Philippines at the Southeast Asian Games, where it came within a point of capturing the gold medal. The Filipinas held match point in the grand finals but failed to close out the series, allowing Malaysia to mount a comeback and escape with a 4-3 victory.

Now back on the international stage, NAVI hopes to write a different ending this time around.

NAVI, which ruled the Athena Cup Season 2 to qualify for the MWI, will lean on the core of jungler Kaye "Keishi" Alpuerto, midlaner Honey "Rainn" Jemlan, exp laner Gwyneth "Not Ayanami" Diagon, roamer Mery "Meraaay" Vivero, and gold laner Lhoureain "Rianne" Alcaraz.

NAVI will open its Group B campaign on Tuesday against Cambodia's Galaxy Phoenix at 9 p.m. (Philippine time) at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles.

—JMB, GMA News