What is Magic Chess: Go Go? Explaining Moonton's latest game with high esports ambitions

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Moonton Games globally released Magic Chess: Go Go, the latest addition to its long line of mobile games, on May 28 to much fanfare. This much-awaited move came a few months after the title's soft launch in Malaysia and Singapore in November 2024 and subsequent availability in the APAC region in February 2025.

Such was the reception to the game before its global release that it ended as the fifth-most downloaded game in the SEA region in the first quarter of 2025, as per Sensor Tower. Two of the titles that ranked above MCGG were established names with robust esports scenes: Garena Free Fire and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.

Esports Charts breaks down this newest Moonton offering to understand what it's all about. The analysis includes a peak at the title's esports potential, its performance in livestreaming, and what popular content creators and casual players have said about it over the past ten days.

Understanding Magic Chess: Go Go

MCGG is a standalone auto-battler strategy title based on the popular "Magic Chess" mode within MLBB. It combines the mobile-based Multiplayer Online Battle Arena's heroes with a fresh and casual yet strategic gameplay experience for fans of the auto-chess genre.

Magic Chess: Go Go sees eight players battle in a unique blend of hero recruitment and tactical gameplay. They must strategically choose and position heroes during the preparation phase, followed by fierce auto battles where HP is deducted from losing players. The ultimate goal is to eliminate all opponents by reducing their HP to zero, ensuring victory in each match. Hence, the more players win, the easier it is to stay at the top and preserve their HP.

Like other auto-battlers, Magic Chess: Go Go focuses on strategy and unit management rather than direct real-time control. Players build a team of heroes, strategically position them on a chessboard-like arena, and then watch as the battles unfold automatically.

This aspect is similar to another Moonton mobile game, Magic Rush: Heroes, a Real-Time Strategy (RTS) RPG with Tower Defense (TD) elements. Both titles revolve around collecting, upgrading, and deploying a roster of unique "heroes" or units. While their roles and how they are used differ significantly, the concept of building a strong team of distinct characters is central to both.

  Top games by revenue and downloads in Q1 2025 (Image via Sensor Tower)   

Since it is based within the MLBB universe, the game features a roster of heroes from the highly successful MOBA. Each hero has unique skills, attack styles, and faction/role affiliations, with players utilizing gold (the primary in-game resource) to recruit heroes from a shared pool.

Combining three identical heroes of the same star level merges them into a single, more powerful unit with an increased star level (up to three stars). The positioning of heroes on the board is crucial, as tanks are typically placed in the front, while damage dealers are in the back. As a result, adapting formations to counter opponents' setups is key.

This progress feature is also similar to Magic Rush: Heroes, as both games depend on leveling up, i.e., increasing the stats and power of individual heroes. Players can also enhance heroes through various means (merging in Magic Chess: Go Go, equipment/runes in Magic Rush: Heroes) to give them the best chance at success.

MCGG also contains a core mechanic where heroes belonging to the same Faction or Role grant powerful buffs when a certain number of them are on the board. This encourages diverse team compositions and strategic planning.

Gold is earned after each round based on performance, winning streaks, and even losing streaks (as a comeback mechanic). Players also earn interest on saved gold. Managing gold wisely is essential for buying heroes, upgrading units, and rerolling the shop for better options.

Players choose a "Little Commander" at the start of each match. These Commanders represent the player and possess unique passive and active skills that can significantly influence strategies and provide tactical advantages. Commanders can also be leveled up to enhance their skills.

A unique addition to Magic Chess: Go Go are "Go Go Cards" obtained during "creep rounds." These cards offer various powerful effects, such as granting items, gold, or unique buffs, adding a layer of luck and strategic decision-making to the game. They come in different rarities (blue, purple, gold), and players can often reroll their choices a couple of times.

Heroes can be equipped with items to boost their combat power. Items are obtained from defeating creeps or "Fate Boxes" (which offer random high-value items and heroes, with lower HP players getting the first pick). Each hero can equip up to three items.

Key features and differences from the MLBB Arcade Mode

• Standalone game: Magic Chess: Go Go is a separate application, meaning players don't need to download the MLBB game to play it. This makes it more accessible for those primarily interested in the auto-battler experience.
• Expanded hero roster and equipment: While retaining the familiar MLBB heroes, Go Go introduces a greater selection of characters and equipment.
• Reworked Commander system: The Commander system in Magic Chess: Go Go is more elaborate than the original Magic Chess mode. Commanders have both passive and active skills, and some even have two passive abilities. They can also be combined to enhance their overall level.
• Blessing System: Season 2 of Magic Chess: Go Go introduced a "Blessing" mechanic, adding another layer of strategy. This mechanic allows players with three or more of the same heroes ascended to the same level to trigger a Blessing, which will add an additional Synergy or Role to their teams.
• New Synergies: The game continually introduces new Synergies to keep the meta fresh and encourage diverse lineup combinations.
• Go Go Dice: At the start of a match, players choose a row with a special effect and roll a die; the effect selected by the player with the highest roll becomes the special effect for the match.

Reception to and reviews for Magic Chess: Go Go

A look at the reviews for Magic Chess: Go Go shows that the response from fans has been mixed. Some players have praised its engaging gameplay and strategic depth, while others expressed concerns about balance and randomness:

Among the positives for many gamers was that the game is delightful and addictive, especially when achieving winning streaks. Moreover, the combination of hero synergies, Commander skills, Go Go Cards, and positioning offers a good amount of strategic depth.

The negative aspects that users have pointed out include balance issues, especially with the power comparison between damage and survivability, and imbalances among commanders and synergies. There is also an increased randomness from Go Go Cards, and hero rerolls can be frustrating for some players, leading to a feeling of "RNG Chess." Many players also criticized the system of needing to acquire the same commander multiple times to fully upgrade them as grindy.

Magic Chess: Go Go esports

Moonton was quick to act in this regard, running the game's maiden competitive event, Magic Chess: Go Go Indonesia Community Tournament, in March 2025. Established a month after the game officially launched in the APAC region, it invited 512 players to compete for a $5,100 prize pool.

The tournament was held online, although it did have a live broadcast during the semifinals and finals that were held between March 14 and 16. The game's developer also revealed at the M6 Summit in Malaysia that the top 16 participants who wanted to become Magic Chess: Go Go streamers would receive livestream traffic support from the company after the event concluded.

Moonton also disclosed a long-term plan for the title's esports scene, saying that after initially starting in Indonesia, tournaments would gradually expand across Southeast Asia. The Chinese publisher added that as part of its plans to develop an esports ecosystem for its new multiplayer title, it would enlist the help of the online livestreaming community.

"MCGG has huge potential to be an esports title; its focus on skill, strategy, and real-time decision-making makes it excellent for competition. Additionally, MCGG’s single-player format means the participation cost and barriers are much lower than many other esports titles. In MCGG, anyone can be a champion! We will focus on developing the competitive ecosystem, starting with the MCCT ID, so that aspiring esports athletes have the opportunity to pursue their ambitions."

- Gao "Skyhook" Chong, MCGG Producer at MOONTON Games

Moonton added that it is collaborating with multiple streaming platforms to develop a "vibrant" community for Magic Chess: Go Go. To this effect, influencers and content creators would play a large role in the industry giant's attempts to cultivate key opinion leaders (KOLS) for the game.

Magic Chess: Go Go in livestreaming

The card & board genre in the smartphone segment continues to see games like Teamfight Tactics, Hearthstone, and Clash Royale lead the online viewership charts. These three legacy offerings have been the most-watched titles on Twitch since Magic Chess: Go Go's release on May 28, with Moonton's auto battler sitting in the 15th spot.

The story is similar when looking at the peak concurrent viewership of mobile games since MCGG's global launch. It sits in the 18th spot, and while these numbers might seem unremarkable, things are bound to get better as more and more players across the world are introduced to it.

  Most watched MCGG channels since its global release across livestreaming services   

Magic Chess: Go Go also seems to have attracted a strong Russian-speaking community. Most of the top creators to have livestreamed it over the last ten-odd days speak this language, with smetanduck — one of the top Russian MLBB streamers — emerging as the leader by Hours Watched (HW).

To conclude, Magic Chess: Go Go aims to provide a competitive auto-battler experience with the familiar heroes and universe of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. It's a game that emphasizes wisdom and a touch of luck, offering a more casual approach to the genre that can be played anywhere, anytime.

With more and more gamers looking for fun, on-the-go titles, MCGG could emerge as a hit, especially if its esports segment can match even half the success that genre peers like Teamfight Tactics and Clash Royale have enjoyed.