Globe announces new esports initiatives, gaming partnerships

MANILA, Philippines — Globe Telecom has launched multiple initiatives centered around the local esports scene. The campaign, “Game Well-Played”, hopes to bring together the millions of Filipino gamers to showcase the good in gaming and to draw support to the Philippine gaming industry.

“While there are many stereotypes and stigma around gaming, we believe that there is value to acquire in spending hours of training for a competition or simply getting lost in a new world while meeting new friends. In seemingly dire battlegrounds, strategic thinking and creativity can flourish,” said Head of Get Entertained Tribe at Globe, Rina Siongco.

Gaming’s positive side

Many Filipino gamers have encountered trials and hardships when entering the gaming scene. The doubt from loved ones, whether gaming is an industry that will lead to anything in life has been a constant strain that many gamers and casters had to face a few times in their life. 

"Nung nalaman [ng relatives ko] na pinagpalit ko yung corporate job para sa career ng gaming, sinabi nila na 'Ayos, ayos na ng trabaho mo, iniwan mo pa naglalaro ka lang.' So parang any time may gathering parang ‘di na lang ako pupunta. Iba yung alam nila about gaming before," Jan Marwin, popularly known as "Boss Maw", shared about how he faced doubts from his family about his gaming career.

Such stigma is something that Globe wishes to change with their esports program #KakalaroKoYanWithGlobe movement, which celebrates the good in gaming.

At the launch of Globe's gaming and esports campaign, Globe Gaming Ambassadors Cherizawa, Boss Maw, Lhea Bernardino and Blacklist International shared their past experiences with the stigma of gaming. But they have all risen above those hardships to reach their current standing in the gaming industry. They also cited how their accomplishments in gaming have helped them not just financially but also skills-wise.

"Besides personal development, natuto rin talaga ako magcommunicate," shared Bernardino. "Natuto rin ako ng mga technical skills na ginagamit ko ngayon like yung sa pagiging streamer ko, naglalaro ako pero aside from that natuto rin ako mag-edit ng videos."

"Ang natutunan ko sa gaming is all about teamwork and time management, and especially patience," added Cherizawa.

For his part, Mobile Legends champion Keith "OHEB" Soriano, shared that without gaming, he would not have met and been friends with the other members of the Blacklist International team, who have made an impact on his life. Besides the friendship, Soriano also mentioned how gaming has helped him financially, while Edward Dapadap proudly shared how at only the age of 17, he has already built a home for his family.

Partnership with global gaming titles

With Globe strengthening their ties in the esports industry, they have partnered with gaming titles such as Genshin Impact and Pokemon Unite, which will be among the roster of titles available on Globe's GoPLAY.

“As we make these games available exclusively on GoPLAY, we aim to give our customers more avenues to discover new worlds and experiences that will help them develop skills that can be used in real life,” said Globe Prepaid Brand Head Givielle Florida. 

"Pokemon UNITE is Pokemon's first team strategy battle game title officially released in July 2021 and the game hit 70 million downloads worldwide up to now. Thankfully, we have been thrilled by witnessing many dedicated Pokemon UNITE players growing here in the [Philippines]. The Pokemon Company will strive hard to provide the best game experience of Pokemon UNITE for the audience in the Philippines and this initiative is only made possible through the partnership with the highly valued partnership with Globe who serves the customers in the [Philippines]. Please stay tuned for further news from Pokemon UNITE's partnership between Globe and the Pokemon Company." said Chief Business Officer of The Pokemon Company, Kenjiro Ito in a pre-recorded message shared during Globe's gaming and esports campaign launch.

Globe is also partnering with play-to-earn game Axie Infinity and publisher Sky Mavis to give Filipinos the chance to earn while still having fun. The company likewise renewed its partnership with Philippine Pro Gaming League (PPGL), and organizations AcadArena and Blacklist International.

Gateway to good gaming: Globe Gamer Grounds

With the rising population of gamers in the country, Globe has partnered with Telekom Malaysia and Swarmio media to bring an all-in-one gaming platform to the Filipino gaming community: The Globe Gamer Grounds.

The platform allows gamers to play their favorite game titles, invite friends to create strong teams, buy upgrades like skins and weapons, as well as participate in community events and tournaments, and watch streams from their favorite gamers. Participating in community events allows players to earn points that they can use to redeem in-game items for their favorite titles.

“Globe Gamer Grounds is an all-in-one gaming platform that’s easy to use for any type of gamer–whether you’re a newbie, casual gamer, or a pro. True to Globe’s vision, we developed it with thoughtfulness to let users enjoy a massive portfolio of games that will fit every gamer’s fancy; connect with friends and battle it out on the grounds; buy upgrades for characters, may it be a new skin or a new set of weapons; track records and rise up the ranks; or simply stream all the best games,” said Tesh Kapadia, Executive Vice-President for Global Sales of Swarmio Media.

“We developed Globe Gamer Grounds with Telekom Malaysia and Swarmio Media to strengthen our mission to empower every Filipino to pursue a game well-played. More than access, we want to continue to evolve and offer innovative products and platforms for gamers of all kinds. From the competitive players that play to take home championship titles and bring home earnings for their families, to those who achieve excellence by beating their previous records, and to the casual ones who simply want to enjoy the games they are playing–it’s always a game well-played with Globe," said Head of Games and Esports at Globe, Ralph Aligada.

To join Globe's gaming and esports community, you may visit the Globe Gamer Grounds website.