<![CDATA[Purpose – This study aims to examine the influence of customer experience on the intention to purchase game items in Mobile Legends, with user game engagement serving as a mediating variable. Design/methodology/approach – This study employs a quantitative explanatory research design. Data were collected through an online questionnaire from 210 Mobile Legends users in Indonesia who had played the game within the last six months and were at least 18 years old. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.1. Findings – The results indicate that customer experience has a positive and significant effect on both user game engagement and the intention to purchase game items. User game engagement also has a positive and significant effect on purchase intention and partially mediates the relationship between customer experience and purchase intention. These findings suggest that enhancing users’ in-game experiences can strengthen engagement, which subsequently increases their intention to purchase virtual items. Originality/value – This study contributes to digital gaming and consumer behavior literature by integrating customer experience and user game engagement in explaining purchase intention for in-game items. The findings provide practical implications for game developers in designing engaging gaming experiences that encourage user participation and increase monetization through virtual item purchases.]]>
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