Five esports games get nod for SEAG ’19

MANILA, Philippines — Esports, which debuts in the 2019 Manila Southeast Asian Games, has been reduced to five by the Phl SEA Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC).

The shorlisted games are:

Dota2 and StarCraft II (on PC), Mobile Legends: Bangbang And Arena of Valor (on Smartphones), and Tekken 7 (on gaming consoles – Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox).

The sixth console game will be shortlisted in the coming weeks.

The final medal count will include two medal events for PC games, two for mobile games, and two for console. The games will be open to men’s and women’s teams.

Upon confirmation, all six games will be featured as competition events in the 2019 SEA Games where esports will be contested as a medal event for the first time alongside traditional sports like athletics and aquatics.

A key selection criterion for the shortlisted games is the diversity of titles. A range of top publishers, genres, and gaming platforms were evaluated for inclusion to make sure the most popular and competitive games are represented.

The strategy and teamwork demanded by the games were also considered, ensuring that competing teams deploy multifaceted tactics to clinch victory.

Also, the shortlisted games take into account the physical and mental toughness needed to persevere through marathon matches.

The event will be the first of its kind for an international sporting event of this scale.

 “The Philippines is excited to welcome esports as one of the crowd-drawers in the coming SEA Games. Gamers will surely look forward to these six games as medal events, ” Vincent “Chot” Reyes, president of TV5, said.

Sebastian Lau, director-general of Asian E-Sports Federation (AESF) lauded Phisgoc for including esports in the SEA Games.

 “Esports is the sport of the future. We are glad to partner with Phisgoc in bringing esports to Southeast Asia,” he said.

Providing technical support to Phisgoc is Razer, a global lifestyle brand for gamers, which has promoted  competitive gaming since it was founded more than a decade ago.

Esports  sees a global audience of 276 million by 2022, and is projected to be a billion-dollar industry by next year.

Razer today supports 18 champion teams with players from 25 countries. 

Team Razer athletes have won over $10 million in prize money in the past two years alone.