| Esports in the Philippines | |
|---|---|
 Esports match during the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Governing body | Philippine Esports Organization |
| National team(s) | Philippines national esports team |
Club competitions | |
International competitions | |
Esports in the Philippines refers to competitive video gaming or esports in the Philippines. This article covers both amateurs and professional levels.
From the 2000s to the early 2010s, video game tournaments in the Philippines have been largely amateur often held in internet cafés in Metro Manila. Video gaming was widely seen as just for leisure or past-time and not seen as a credible means for a professional career. Among popular video game titles featured in tournaments around this period are Dota 2 and Counter-Strike . [1]
The Philippine Esports Organization (PeSO), which would govern esports in the country would be established in 2011. [2] Filipinos would eventually become esports athletes and professional esports teams would be organized to compete in international competitions. [3]
In 2017, the state agency Games and Amusements Board recognized esports as a legitimate sport. [4] [5]
The Philippines would introduce esports as a medal event in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games which it hosted. This would be the first time esports would feature in an event that also featured traditional sports. [6] PESO would also formally organize a national esports team for the occasion which was given the moniker "Sibol". [7] [8] [9] Esports would be subsequently featured in succeeding editions of the regional games.
The rise of the availability of smartphones and mobile internet would cause the increased popularity of mobile game titles for esports by the early 2020s such as Mobile Legends and PUBG Mobile . [10] [11]
The Philippine Esports Organization (PeSO) is an esports body that represents the country officially to the International eSports Federation (IeSF), which is one of the largest esports associations in the world. [12] The organization is a member of the Philippine Olympic Committee since 2020. [13] [14] [15]
Professional esports athletes in the Philippines are also required to secure a license from the Games and Amusements Board. [4] [5]
The following are professional esports tournaments and leagues that are organized in the Philippines.
Esports, short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, individually or as teams. Although organized competitions have long been a part of video game culture, these were largely between amateurs until the late 2000s, when participation by professional gamers and spectatorship in these events through live streaming saw a large surge in popularity. By the 2010s, esports was a significant factor in the video game industry, with many game developers actively designing and providing funding for tournaments and other events.
Sports in the Philippines is an important part of the country's culture. There are six major sports in the Philippines: basketball, boxing, tennis, football, billiards, and volleyball. Despite being a tropical nation, ice skating has recently become a popular sport in the Philippines. Sports such as athletics, weightlifting, aerobics, and martial arts are also popular recreations.
The 2019 Southeast Asian Games, officially known as the 30th Southeast Asian Games, or the 30th SEA Games, and commonly known as Philippines 2019, was the 30th edition of the Southeast Asian Games, a biennial regional multi-sport event which was held in the Philippines from 30 November to 11 December 2019. However, due to a narrow calendar, some sports started before the opening ceremony as early as November 24.
The Philippines competed at the 28th Southeast Asian Games from 5 to 16 June 2015. The Philippines contingent was composed of 472 athletes and 136 sporting officials participating in 35 out of the 36 sports.
Video gaming in the Philippines is an emerging industry and pastime that includes the production, sale, distribution, and playing of video games.
The Philippine Youth Games – Batang Pinoy or simply Batang Pinoy is the national youth sports competition of the Philippines for athletes under 15 years old. Unlike the Palarong Pambansa a competition for student athletes, the Batang Pinoy also includes the out-of-school youth.
The Philippines competed at the 30th Southeast Asian Games which was hosted by them from 30 November to 11 December 2019. This was the fourth time that the country hosted the biennial meet.
The 2020 ASEAN Para Games, officially known as the 10th ASEAN Para Games, is a cancelled biannual multi-sport event for athletes with physical disabilities which was intended to be held after the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines. Participants were expected from 11 countries in Southeast Asia. The games, patterned after the Paralympics, was to include athletes with various disabilities.
The Nationals is an electronic sports (Esports) league in the Philippines which had its inaugural season in 2019. It is the first franchise-based electronic sports in the Philippines. The tournaments are sanctioned by the Esports National Association of the Philippines (ESNAP).
Esports at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines was held at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan, Metro Manila from 5 to 10 December 2019. It was the first esports contest as a medal event in a multi-sport competition sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee after the discipline featured as a demonstration sport at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Smart Omega Esports, formerly known as PLDT–Smart Omega, is a Philippine franchise-based professional esports team which competes in The Nationals, the top esports league in the Philippines sanctioned by the eSports National Association of the Philippines, and MPL Philippines. It was formed as a result of a partnership between esports team Sterling Global Dragons and corporate firms, PLDT Inc. and its mobile arm, Smart Communications.
The 2019 The Nationals is the inaugural season of The Nationals, an electronic sports (Esports) league in the Philippines. The season features three titles, Dota 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and Tekken 7 with two conferences each.
Bren Esports is a Southeast Asian professional esports organization based in the Philippines. It has competitive teams in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, CS:GO, PUBG, League of Legends, Overwatch, Hearthstone, Clash Royale, Arena of Valor, Rules of Survival, Valorant, and Tekken 7. In the Philippine esports league The Nationals, the team competes as Bren EPro. The organization was founded on 16 August 2017 by Bernard "Bren" Chong who is part of the Chong clan that owns World Balance. He is currently in hiding in the United States and have yet to face charges of human trafficking in the Philippines.
The Philippine Esports Organization is the national governing body for esports in the Philippines. It is a member of the International Esports Federation (IESF) since 2012 and is an associate member of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) since 2020.
The Philippines participated at the 31st Southeast Asian Games which was held from 12 to 23 May 2022 in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Esports at the 2021 Southeast Asian Games took place at National Convention Center in Hanoi, Vietnam from 13 to 22 May 2022. It will be the second esports contest as a medal event in a multi-sport competition sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee.
Galaxy Racer is an esports and gaming organization based in Dubai, UAE and founded in 2019 by Paul Roy. As of 2023, Galaxy Racer's competitive esports division, Nigma Galaxy, has a roster of 13 esports teams playing Battlegrounds Mobile India, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, Fortnite, Free Fire, League of Legends, League of Legends: Wild Rift, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and PUBG Mobile. It also has partnerships with various companies and organizations such as La Liga and Polaris Sports.
The Philippines is set to participate at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games which will be held from 5 to 16 May 2023 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Blacklist International is a Southeast Asian esports organization under Tier One Entertainment. They manage competitive esports divisions in PUBG, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Garena Free Fire, Call of Duty: Mobile, and collaboration between Rivalry in Dota 2 and G2 Esports in League of Legends: Wild Rift.
The Philippines national esports team represents the Philippines in international esports tournaments. It is organized under the Philippine Esports Organization.