Mobile Legends: Bang Bang experienced a global server outage on May 7, 2026, caused by a major fire at a NorthC data centre in Almere, Netherlands. Moonton confirmed the issue and announced compensation for affected players.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) suffered a global server outage on May 7, 2026, leaving millions of players unable to log in. The cause was a major fire at a NorthC Datacenters facility in Almere, Netherlands, that broke out around 8:30 a.m. local time and knocked critical infrastructure offline across multiple sectors. With over 110 million monthly active users and 1.5 billion lifetime installations across 139 countries, the disruption was felt by players worldwide, particularly in Europe and Turkey.
What Caused the MLBB Server Outage?
The fire started at the rear of the NorthC Datacenters building in the Sallandsekant industrial estate in Almere, where technical facilities including power systems are located. Emergency services escalated the incident to GRIP1, the Dutch classification that activates a coordinated regional response across all emergency services. A crash tender from Lelystad Airport was brought in to cool a diesel fuel tank at the site as a precaution.
NorthC CEO Alexandra Schless confirmed that all personnel were evacuated safely and no injuries occurred. However, the emergency electricity installation at the data centre was classified as lost. In a 3:00 p.m. update, NorthC stated the fire had not yet been extinguished and that it would take several more hours to bring it fully under control and declare the building safe. The company could not determine the cause of the fire or the exact extent of the damage at that point.
NorthC operates more than 20 data centres across the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland, built to Tier 3+ standards with redundant power, cooling, and UPS systems. The Almere facility serves clients in education, research, government, healthcare, and gaming. The fire did not only affect MLBB: Utrecht University lost access to its websites and applications, healthcare billing provider Infomedics went offline, and the emergency communication system for public transport across Utrecht province was disabled.
What Did Moonton Say?
Moonton, the developer behind MLBB, responded quickly with an official statement confirming that a fire at a partner data centre was causing login issues for players in certain regions. The company stated that all relevant teams were working to resolve the emergency and that compensation rewards would be distributed to affected players once the issue was fixed.
The exact content of the compensation package has not been officially detailed. Based on Moonton’s past practices and community discussion, players expect in-game items such as diamonds, Battle Points (BP), skin fragments, or experience cards delivered through the in-game mail system.
Which Regions Were Affected?
The outage had a global footprint but hit hardest in Europe and Turkey. Player reports on Instatus and Downdetector came from the United Kingdom, Spain, Netherlands, Serbia, Finland, Ireland, India, and Algeria, among others. Some users on Instatus specifically identified the fire location as Almere, Netherlands, while others mentioned Turkey-based servers.
Not all players were equally affected. Some reported being able to play normally throughout the disruption, while others in the same region could not even open their profile. This inconsistency is typical of data centre outages where only certain server clusters or routing paths are disrupted.
What Symptoms Did Players Experience?
The most commonly reported issues during the outage included:
- Stuck on loading screen: The game would freeze at the loading screen, sometimes showing 99% progress, without advancing further.
- Server Error messages: Repeated “Server Error” or “Connection Timeout” alerts when attempting to log in.
- Profile inaccessible: Some players could open the game but could not load their profiles or access matchmaking.
- Mid-match disconnections: Players in active matches experienced sudden disconnections and could not reconnect.
Standard troubleshooting steps like switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data, restarting the device, or reinstalling the game did not resolve the issue, since the root cause was server-side infrastructure failure.
How Long Will the Outage Last?
NorthC’s last official update on May 7 indicated the fire would take several more hours to fully contain. The company said it would begin a technical investigation and implement emergency measures as soon as site access was restored. Players on community forums estimated recovery could take anywhere from 24 to 48 hours, with gradual reconnection becoming possible before full stability returns.
Data centre fire recoveries depend on the extent of physical damage. In the 2021 OVHcloud fire in Strasbourg, the SBG2 facility was completely destroyed and some customer data was permanently lost. In NorthC’s case, the fire was concentrated at the rear of the building, and it remains unclear whether the main server halls sustained direct damage.
How to Check MLBB Server Status
During large-scale outages, the most reliable approach is to check official channels before attempting device-side fixes. Useful sources include:
- MLBB official social media: Moonton posts updates on Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) during major incidents.
- Downdetector and Instatus: These platforms aggregate real-time user reports and show outage maps.
- Community channels: Region-specific MLBB groups on Discord, Reddit, and Facebook often share the latest status updates faster than official channels.
If friends in your region are experiencing the same issue, the problem is almost certainly server-side, and no local troubleshooting will help until the infrastructure is restored.
Device-Side Troubleshooting After Recovery
Once Moonton confirms that servers are back online, players who still experience login issues should try these steps:
- Clear the app cache: On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Mobile Legends > Storage > Clear Cache. Avoid “Clear Data” unless necessary, as this forces a full resource re-download.
- Switch your network: Try toggling between Wi-Fi and mobile data to rule out routing issues with your ISP.
- Disable VPN: VPN connections can interfere with server reconnection after outages.
- Update the game: Check Google Play Store or Apple App Store for any patches released around the incident date.
- Free up storage: MLBB requires adequate free space to function. At least 5 GB of free storage is recommended.
- Reinstall as a last resort: Before uninstalling, make sure your account is bound to Moonton, Google, or Facebook. Your progress and heroes are safe as long as the account is linked.
Data Centre Fires: A Rare but Serious Risk
Data centre fires are uncommon but can have cascading effects across many services. Between 2014 and 2023, at least 22 significant data centre fire or explosion incidents were reported globally, with the majority linked to battery failure, UPS malfunction, or electrical faults. The 2021 OVHcloud Strasbourg fire destroyed an entire facility, permanently erasing data for customers without off-site backups. A 2023 water leak at Global Switch in Paris triggered a battery fire that disrupted Google’s European operations.
The Almere fire underscores a broader concern in digital infrastructure: physical redundancy is expensive, and organisations that depend on data centres sometimes assume a level of resilience that the actual architecture does not guarantee. As TNW reported, the most striking detail from this incident was not that the data centre failed, but that critical systems built on top of it had not adequately planned for that possibility.
What Players Want to Know
Is my MLBB account safe?
Yes. Server-side connection issues do not affect account data. As long as your account is linked to Moonton, Google, or Facebook, your heroes, skins, rank, and progress remain intact. Do not trust any third-party “account recovery” services that may appear during outages.
Will I be compensated for ranked losses?
Moonton confirmed compensation rewards will be sent to affected players. However, specific details on star refunds or credit score restoration have not been announced. Past compensation has typically included diamonds, BP, and event items delivered via in-game mail.
Did the fire only affect Mobile Legends?
No. The NorthC Almere fire disrupted multiple services including Utrecht University systems, healthcare billing platform Infomedics, and the emergency communication system for public transport in Utrecht province. MLBB was one of many services affected by the same physical infrastructure failure.
Should I reinstall the game now?
Not while the servers are still recovering. Reinstalling during an active server outage will not resolve the problem and may force a lengthy re-download of game resources. Wait for Moonton to confirm full service restoration before attempting a reinstall.
For ongoing coverage of Mobile Legends news, updates, and events, the GamerMarkt Mobile Legends news section provides regular updates for the MLBB community.
