If you’ve ever queued up for a Mobile Legends ranked match and watched a teammate pop a silly dance emote after a perfect team wipe, you know how much these tiny animations add to the game. They’re more than just a fun gimmick—they let you celebrate wins, hype up your squad, or even gently troll the enemy team without typing a single word. Most new players spend weeks searching for clear, safe ways to unlock these assets, and that’s exactly why we’re breaking down how to get emotes in Mobile Legends without wasting your hard-earned diamonds or risking your account security. We’ve tested every method listed here across two years of regular play, so you can skip the scam sites and focus on adding your favorite animations to your collection.
How to Get Emotes in Mobile Legends: Free, No-Spend Methods
You don’t have to spend a single cent to build a fun, varied collection of emotes if you play regularly. Moonton, the game’s developer, constantly adds free emote rewards to in-game events and progression systems to keep players engaged. Most of these methods only require you to complete regular match tasks you’d probably do anyway, so there’s very little extra effort involved. We’ve listed all the most reliable free methods below:
- Season rank end rewards: If you hit Master rank or higher by the end of a 2-month ranked season, you’ll automatically get a limited-edition exclusive emote sent to your in-game mail, no extra steps required. These emotes never return to the shop, so they’re one of the rarest assets you can own for free.
- Limited-time event challenges: Moonton runs 2-3 themed events every month that let you earn event-specific currency by playing matches, completing daily quests, or sharing event pages to your social media. You can usually trade this currency for common or rare emotes in the event shop before the event ends.
- New player login bonuses: If you’re making a new account, you’ll get a free welcome emote on your 3rd day of consecutive logins, along with free skins and battle points to kick off your collection.
- Official community giveaways: Moonton regularly runs giveaways on their official Facebook, Instagram, and Discord servers for limited emotes, often tied to new character launches or esports tournament milestones. All you have to do is follow the entry rules, no purchase needed.
That means you never have to enter your account password on a third-party site to claim free emotes, no matter how good the offer looks. Moonton will never ask for your login details outside of the official game or official event pages, so any site that does is an immediate scam. We’ve seen multiple players lose accounts worth hundreds of dollars to these fake free emote sites, so it’s simply not worth the risk.
Paid Methods to Unlock Rare and Limited Emotes
If you’re looking for extra rare, high-quality emotes that aren’t available through free events, paid options give you far more variety and immediate access. Most players who want to know how to get emotes in Mobile Legends that are extra unique usually end up exploring these paid routes for collaboration or exclusive drops. The key is to spend your money wisely to get the best value, rather than buying every random emote that pops up in the shop.
The most affordable paid option is the Starlight Membership, which costs around $5 per month. Along with free skins, battle points, and other bonuses, you’ll get an exclusive monthly emote only available to Starlight subscribers. These emotes are usually higher quality than free options, and many of them don’t return to the shop after the month ends, making them a great collectible.
You can also buy emotes directly from the in-game shop using diamonds, or pick up limited-time event bundles that include emotes, skins, and other items for a discounted price. Bundles usually save you 30-40% compared to buying each item separately, so they’re the best option if you want multiple assets at once. Just make sure you only buy diamonds directly through the in-game store, not through third-party resellers. We’ve seen dozens of players get their accounts permanently banned for using discounted third-party diamond sites, just to save a few dollars on an emote. It’s never worth the risk.
Tips to Get Exclusive Limited-Edition Emotes
Limited-edition emotes are the most sought-after assets in the game, as they’re only available for a short window and never get re-released in most cases. If you want to stand out in matches with emotes that very few other players have, these tips will help you snag them before they’re gone for good.
First, keep an eye out for IP collaboration events that Moonton runs 2-3 times per year. These events tie Mobile Legends to popular anime, movies, or other brands, and they often include exclusive emotes tied to the collaboration. I picked up the exclusive Attack on Titan salute emote during the 2023 collaboration, and I still get comments from teammates asking where I got it every time I use it. You’ll usually have to buy a collaboration bundle to get these emotes, but they’re well worth the cost if you’re a fan of the partnered IP.
You can also get exclusive esports emotes through official tournament watch drops. When major Mobile Legends esports tournaments like M-Series are running, you can link your game account to the official streaming platform, watch matches for a set amount of time, and earn free exclusive esports emotes sent directly to your in-game mail. These are completely free, and they’re only available during the tournament window, so they’re another great rare addition to your collection.
Don’t sleep on the annual anniversary events either. Every August, Moonton runs a month-long anniversary event with tons of free rewards, including a limited anniversary emote that only players who participated that year can get. These emotes are always themed around the game’s anniversary, and they’re some of the most recognizable rare emotes in the community.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Unlocking Emotes
Even with all these available methods, it’s easy to waste resources or put your account at risk if you don’t know what to look out for. We’ve made most of these mistakes ourselves over the years, so we’re sharing them to help you avoid the same headaches.
The biggest mistake new players make is to waste your diamonds on common emotes in the regular shop. 90% of the common emotes in the permanent shop will be offered for free in events within 2-3 months of their release, so you’re just throwing diamonds away if you buy them immediately. Wait a few months, and you’ll almost always be able to get them for free through event challenges.
Another common mistake is forgetting to claim your rewards before they expire. All in-game mail rewards expire after 7 days, and event shop currencies disappear as soon as the event ends. If you earn enough currency for an emote during an event, make sure you redeem it before the event closes, or you’ll lose the chance entirely. We’ve lost out on multiple limited emotes in the past because we forgot to check the event shop before it closed, so it’s a good habit to check the event page once a day when a new event launches.
Finally, don’t fall for fake “custom emote” services that promise to let you upload your own personal emotes to the game. Mobile Legends does not support custom user-uploaded emotes at all, so any service that offers this is either a scam to steal your account or a lie that will leave you with nothing for your money. Stick to official emotes available through in-game channels, and you won’t run into any issues.
At the end of the day, figuring out how to get emotes in Mobile Legends doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. You can build a solid collection of fun, unique animations just by playing regularly and joining official events, or splurge on rare limited options if you want to stand out in matches. No matter which method you choose, stick to official in-game channels to keep your account safe, and don’t forget to test out your new emotes the next time you land a perfect savage.