Tag: Asia

Esports Integrated (ESI), an initiative to catalyse a vibrant, sustainable and inclusive ecosystem by the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) today announced the start of Malaysia Esports League 2022 (MEL22). As part of KBS’s Strategic Development Plan for Esports Development, the second edition of Malaysia Esports League will be held from 12 September until 3 December 2022.

Offering a prize pool of RM299,500, MEL22 will be expanded to include 2 new game titles and expanded categories from 4 to 7, with the inclusion of a special people with disabilities (PWD) league. Following up from the success of Malaysia Esports League 2021 (MEL21), MEL22 aims to provide a more comprehensive and inclusive platform for Malaysian esports talents to compete and showcase their talents.

MEL22 will be divided into 3 series, namely MEL22 Regular Series which consists of MEL22 State Leagues and MEL22 Nationals featuring 3 game titles – Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), PlayerUnknown’s Battleground Mobile (PUBGM) and Garena Free Fire (FF); MEL22 Open Series featuring 3 game titles – Dota 2, FIFA23 and Valorant; and Para MEL22 (game title to be announced soon via ESI’s social media accounts).

For the MEL22 Regular Series, the aim is to provide a true platform for grassroots esports enthusiasts to compete at the state level (MEL22 State Leagues) and later to represent their states in the national playoffs (MEL22 Nationals). In partnership with Moonton, Tencent and Garena, the respective publishers for MLBB, PUBGM and FF, winners from the national playoffs will progress into ESI’s professional level tournament, Malaysia Esports Championship 2022/2023 (MEC 2022/2023) and later progresses into the publishers’ own professional circuit such as MLBB Pro League Malaysia (MPL), PUBGM National Championship (PMNC) and FF Malaysia/Cambodia/Philippines Majors (FF MCPS). MEL22 State Leagues will start from 12 – 29 September 2022 and will be conducted virtually, and MEL22 Nationals will start from 1 October – 2 November 2022, held physically at ESI Hub, Spacerubix Puchong.

For the MEL22 Open Series, it will be an open tournament for all players from various levels (amateur, semi professional and professional), whilst Para MEL22 is the continuation of ESI’s OKU-only tournament, giving opportunity for OKU esports enthusiasts. Both series will be held physically at ESI Hub as well.

“KBS would like to invite esports enthusiasts of various levels to participate in MEL22. Continuing the success of MEL21 last year where 50,000 individuals registered to participate, and close to 1.2 million viewerships, MEL22 is expected to draw large number of registrations and views; so register now before the slots are full.” said YB Dato’ Sri Ahmad Faizal bin Dato’ Azumu, Ministry of Youth and Sports.

“We are delighted to announce the expansion of Malaysia’s biggest grassroots esports tournament, MEL for this year. This allows for more enthusiasts, especially youths, to compete and venture into the local esports competitive circuits. With a clear progression from MEL to MEC and publishers’ own professional tournaments, we would like to ensure a clear path for any esports enthusiasts to compete and progress; from amateur state level, one is able to compete up to international level.” said Fadzli Rahim, the Vice President of Operations and Growth, ESI.

MEL22 is organised by ESI in collaboration with 16 state esports associations and registrations are currently open via www.esukan.gg. Matches will be live streamed via ESI and KBS’s Facebook pages.

The International Esports Federation (IESF) announced the featured expert speakers for the first day of the World Esports Summit, scheduled to take place from September 29 to October 2 at the Busan Esports Arena. IESF recently debuted a new visual identity and branding for the hybrid event that continues to unite the World Esports Family.

The WE Summit is supported by the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Busan Metropolitan City and Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency. IESF has hosted the event every year since 2016 and is consistently advancing to best serve its members and as an exchange platform for key Esports stakeholders from around the world to promote discussion, evolution, and good governance.

Session 1: Spotlight on Asia’s Success Factors

The first panel will examine Asia’s Esports experience, identify key Asian success factors and determine considerations that could be emulated in other markets for accelerated Esports growth. Korea Esports Association International Relations Specialist Hyucksoo David Shin will serve as the moderator.

Panel Discussion:

Samart Benjamin Assarasakorn – Chief Executive Secretary, Thailand Esports Federation

H.R.H. Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud – President, Saudi Esports Federation

Hung Do Viet – General Secretary, Vietnam Recreational and Electronic Sport Association

Vlad Marinescu – President, International Esports Federation

Session 2: Streamlining Cooperation for Successful Competition

This panel is set to bring together athletes, publishers and other relevant Esports competition stakeholders to develop synergies, foster cooperation, and improve communications for a brighter Esports future, and will be moderated by EA Sports Senior Program Manager Byungho Kang.

Panel Discussion:

Tiffani Lim – Athletes Committee Chairperson, International Esports Federation

Paul Kim – Esports Business Development & KR Esports Lead, KRAFTON

Tiago Fernandes – Operations Director, GIRLGAMER Esports Festival

Session 3: The Unsung Heroes of Esports

The Unsung Heroes of Esports panel will shine a light on and tell the stories of the people behind the scenes that provide support systems for Esports leagues and competitions worldwide. Advance Learning Partnership Consultant Nesli Kolasinli will moderate the panel.

Panel Discussion:

Wolf Schröder – Esports Commentator, LCK

Verta Maloney – Chief Innovation Officer & Co-founder, the*gameHERs

Joanie Kraut – CEO, Women in Games International

Bora Hercicek – Competition Manager, University Esports Turkey

Session 4: Driving Growth Through Derivative Content

This panel will explore the expanding world of derivative Esports content and will include sharing success stories, evaluating trends and discussing opportunities for new and undiscovered markets, moderated by Women in Games Ambassador Lucy Chow.

Panel Discussion:

Baki Can Kadıoglu – General Manager, Futbolist LLC

Pelle Karlsson – Commercial Leader APAC, Nielsen Sports

Donald Yeo – Account Director, Esports, Octagon Singapore IPG DXTRA

Serhat Bekdemir – Country Manager Turkey, Amazon University Esports

Video highlights from the WE Summit will be available on IESF’s YouTube channel. Several featured panels and Q&A sessions will also be live streamed on YouTube.

A couple of Singaporean professional esports players have created their own organisation, & with Avium’s endorsement, and will compete under the banner of Slate Esports in the upcoming MPL Singapore due to start in September 2022.

The team will be leveraging Avium’s ecosystem & representing the brand through the decentralised ownership model, by utilising the Avium Founders’ Pass. This means that Slates Esports is a part of Avium’s ecosystem, and will receive support from its community to help the  players establish themselves as an esports team.

“At Avium, our goal is always the same, ‘Enabling Passion; Building Dreams’. When Daryl, a Founders’ Pass holder, reached out to us to support him in building his own dream, we knew we had to support him. This is the beautiful thing about Web3, helping people grow,” mentioned Nathanael Lim, co-founder of Avium.
Holding an Avium Founders Pass grants access to an exclusive community building of the Avium brand together with the founding team. The formation of Slate Esports is a prime example of how Avium supports its community members.

The organisation is formed by SEA Games Bronze Medalist duo Akihiro ‘JPL’ Furusawa & Daryl ‘Youngin’ Ng after being released by EVOS Esports in late July. These players are household names in the gaming community. The majority of the Slate Esports roster was inherited from EVOS SG, who finished 4th place in the most recent World Championship series held in
Singapore in December 2021.

The team’s target is to replicate their success under their new banner. Daryl Ng has expressed his excitement in growing a new chapter in his life with Slate Esports as part of Avium’s ecosystem. Slate Esports is looking to qualify for the $USD 800,000 prize pool World Championship in Jakarta on January 2023.

Daryl Ng, the founder of Slate Esports, said: “Never in a thousand years I thought I would say that I own an esports organisation, yet here we are. Firstly, I have to thank Avium for believing in us to support and support us in our journey. We are extremely proud to represent the community and will aim to be the best.”

Avium is a Web3 media start focusing on building an entertainment & media network. Recently,
they secured a US$2M pre-seed round led by Saison Capital. It includes East Ventures, Mirana
Ventures, angel investors such as Ricky Ow (ex-Warner Media) and more.

India’s DOTA 2 esports team’s victory at the CEC 2022 is a significant milestone in the history of the Indian esports and gaming ecosystem. It will open up new horizons for aspiring athletes who dream to compete in international tournaments in the future, thereby encouraging young gamers to pursue full-time careers as athletes. The win will open floodgates for subsequent industries to rise, birthing new-gen pro-gamers, careers, tournaments, brand associations and sponsorship opportunities among others. As the country celebrates 75 years of Independence, this victory marks a historical achievement for India in the international gaming arena.

The Indian DOTA 2 esports team displayed a smacking performance and won the bronze at the inaugural Commonwealth Esports Championships 2022 (CEC) held recently in Birmingham, England. The winners of the Indian DOTA 2 team, consisting of Moin Ejaz (captain), Ketan Goyal, Abhishek Yadav, Shubhnam Goli, and Vishal Vernekar, defeated New Zealand by 2-0 in an unsurpassed format.

Up until 2010, esports as a concept was relatively obscure in India and rather non-existent, with low public awareness, lack of infrastructure, and little involvement in the development of this sector. However, 2010 saw an enormous surge in the user base due to the popularity of smartphones, affordable high-speed internet, and notable investments in the space.

According to a report by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and EY India, the Indian esports industry rose to INR 3 billion in FY2021 and is expected to reach INR 11 billion by FY2025. This only confirms that the growth opportunity for esports in India is exponential and expansive.

Bharat Patel, Co-Founder, and Director, of Yudiz Solutions Limited, said, “A big congratulations to team India for claiming the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Esports Championship for DOTA 2. A remarkable achievement, considering the countless scrims, lengthy LAN games, and complex strategies involved.” With reference to esports athletes, he further shares, “the intelligence, mettle, and enthusiasm DOTA players display is utterly amazing. This win will boost the morale of the younger generation to become more active participants, encouraging the industry and the gaming community going forward.”

Anurag Khurana who is the CEO & Founder of Penta Esports said, “Congratulations to team India on winning the bronze medal at CEC for DOTA 2. This win will surely bring esports more recognition in India and inspire more aspiring esports athletes at the grassroots level in the country.”

Talking about the win Abhishek Aggarwal, Co-Founder, and CEO, of Trinity Gaming India, said, “These are exciting times for the esports industry and a very proud moment for the country and the gaming community. This win by the DOTA 2 team at the Commonwealth Esports Championship has earned a spot for India on the global gaming map and the future of esports looks very bright. This will encourage a new breed of gamers to build their careers leading to a larger pool of talent in the country. This is also an opportunity for brands to step forward in supporting the industry and encouraging the new athletes who aspire to have a career in this arena. We, as industry players, are confident that the government will support this form of the sport by providing adequate support to the esports athletes.”

The Indian esports ecosystem witnessed its first international representation (demonstration) at the Asian Games in 2018. Tirth Mehta, who won a bronze at the time, drew the attention of many developers and investors and their interest in Indian esports grew. Coverage and promotional campaigns on various online social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram increased public awareness and further stimulated the popularity of esports in India.

As esports is declared as a medal event at the next Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, India’s performance and win at  CEC 2022 have upped the ante for Indian esports in the international arena.