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| (Image Source: eSports World Federation) |
The Philippines has become a major player in the world of electronic and digital sports or eSports. Arniel Gutierrez publicly announced this after the official establishment of the eSports World Federation (ESWF) as the governing eSports body in the world in which he was elected president. "The Philippines is now the mecca of eSports. Officially, we are now the eSports capital of the world," said Gutierrez during the Tabloids Organization in Philippine Sports Inc. Usapang Sports forum held last August 18, 2022 at the Behrouz Restaurant in Timog, Quezon City.
Gutierrez said there are four Continental Federations anchored in the ESWF — the Amateur Europe eSports Federation led by Valery Kolganov of Israel; Organization of African Electronic Sports led by Igor Boumekpo of Ghana; Pan-American eSports led by Canada's Christopher Byrne; and Asia-Pacific Electronic Sports Confederation led by Santanu Basu. "If the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the governing body for all traditional sports federations and organizer of the Olympics, the ESWF is the governing sports body for eSports," added Gutierrez in the weekly sports forum sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and Behrouz Restaurant. "After years of planning and study and support of all eSports international federations, particularly the China-based General Association of Asia Pacific Sports Federations whose president is now the vice president of IOC, we have realized my long-time dream." In collaboration with the Department of Tourism (DoT) where Gutierrez is also part of the Sports Tourism Group, the ESWF will be officially launched at the Tourism Sports & eSports Business Conference slated on November 25-28, 2022 at SMX Clark in Pampanga.
"This is the kickoff program of ESWF. We will hold a conference and seminars. There are exhibits because it is part of the digitization project of the DoT. We will also have a Battle Royal PUBG tournament in which more than 100 teams from our member organizations are expected to participate. We will do an online qualifying before the main event," said Gutierrez. To further accelerate the growth of information about eSports, Gutierrez also teamed up with Pinoy Ako (PKO) digital apps that are scheduled to be launched on October 16. "Right now we are in beta testing, but before the grand launching in October, you can already get a glimpse of the PKO apps by September 16," said PKO multi-digital content creator Neil Talavera. Talavera said PKO dedicated a channel for eSports to give all enthusiasts the opportunity to follow their passion even in local and international activities. Gutierrez added that to further educate the youth on eSports, he launched the eSports Academy of Asia Pacific in Dasmariñas, Cavite. The academy offered courses in eSports Coaching, Graphic Arts, Cybersecurity, Computer Technology, BS Sports, and AB Psychology Major in eSports Psychology.
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Ampverse Enters Philippine eSports Market
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| (Image Source: Orange Magazine TV/Ampverse) |
Ampverse, the fastest-growing eSports and Web3 company in Asia, officially launches into the Philippines as its fifth market. To strengthen the local gaming and eSports ecosystem, Ampverse will be investing Php100 million into the Philippines with a core focus on eSports, talent, commerce, and Web3. “The gaming scene in the Philippines is flourishing; over the past several years, we have witnessed incredible developments and the landscape is now ripe for further growth and success. As a Filipino myself, I’m excited to go back to my roots and build something special in this thriving market. My mission is to grow the Filipino gaming ecosystem to world-class status," said Ampverse CEO Ferdinand Gutierrez.
To coincide with their market entry, Ampverse has signed the most successful amateur eSports team in Mobile Legends history – a team that has won 11 straight championships. The team will play under the newly formed Minana brand which was created with ambitions to become the leading youth lifestyle brand in the country. Minana translates as inheritance, under the belief that 'Excellence Inherited’ passes from generation to generation and everyone, regardless of their background or socio-economic standing, has the ability to achieve greatness in their chosen field. Their vision is to ignite passion in every Filipino youth, with the core principle that ‘Greatness is in our blood’. Ampverse’s mission is to build Minana into a true Pinoy lifestyle and gaming brand.
On the other hand, Julius “Banoobs” Mariano has been appointed as Regional Expansion Manager for Ampverse as the inaugural employee-in-market. Having previously worked for Twitch as Country Manager for the global live streaming service's operations in the Philippines, Banoobs is a highly respected and recognized Filipino gaming executive and is also a streamer himself with a 100,000+ strong social media following. “Mat (Ampverse's Chief Gaming Officer) and I helped establish and grow the gaming scene in the Philippines nearly a decade ago at Twitch, so it’s a dream to be working together again with our common aim to innovate and build the foundations for the next decade of Filipino gaming,” said Banoobs. Julius is charged with bolstering the Ampverse team on the ground in the Philippines as he spearheads the brand’s growth in-market and will be followed by a number of new hires in the coming months across eSports, sales, marketing, operations and Web3. Since it was founded in 2019, Ampverse has scaled rapidly across the region with offices in Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and India. Continuing their growth across the region, Ampverse is primed to launch in Indonesia in late 2022.
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Smart Omega Reaps Praise For Two-Win Peat, To Compete In CODM Stage 4 Regionals
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| (Image Source: Smart Communications) |
Leading mobile services provider Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is proud of its professional eSports team Smart Omega Call of Duty Mobile (CODM) for bagging the two-peat championship title in the recently concluded Garena Masters Season 3. Besting seven other squads from Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines, Smart Omega CODM defended their title in the first offline event since the global pandemic.
“This is a special memory I will treasure for a long time because our team’s hard work finally paid off,” said CODM sniper Jerrold “Woopiiee” Regay. “As the team captain and leader in-game, I made sure I was mentally prepared to guide my teammates in this battle. I braced myself by preparing for all potential game outcomes, including various strategies,” he added. Smart Omega coach Bruce Cruz recalled the training that the young eSports athletes went through to achieve this goal. “We relentlessly scrimmaged with international teams and removed their mindset of being complacent and other bad habits. We had to be consistent in following our winning system,” Cruz shared.
Smart’s support to the Smart Omega CODM team is part of its longstanding push to promote Philippine eSports and cultivate the passion, skill, and talent of Filipino eSports athletes and mobile gamers. Aside from organizing the country’s biggest eSports events, Smart also supports gamers with relevant data offers and services powered by the country’s fastest mobile network according to Ookla. “We are very proud of this team, which consists of young dreamers who are making their mark in the eSports arena. As a staunch supporter of eSports development in the Philippines, we will continue to support Smart Omega CODM as they prepare for their next biggest challenge in the international stage,” said PLDT and Smart Communications' Head of Sports Jude H. Turcuato.
After their success in Garena Masters Season 3, Smart Omega will advance to the Stage 4 Regionals in September and face top squads to earn a spot in the World Championship. The reigning champs also recognize the contribution of their fans who showed their support during the event. “We won’t forget how you cheered loudly to boost the team’s morale and how you screamed your hearts out when we won the championship. We won’t let you down and we’ll give it our all in every game,” Regay said.
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OhMyV33nus Assures Fans A Spot In M4 World Championship
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| (Image Source: Orange Magazine TV/MPL Philippines) |
Johnmar “OhMyV33nus” Villaluna assured fans that she will secure a spot at the upcoming M4 World Championship taking place on January 2023 in Jakarta, Indonesia with her team Blacklist International and showcase the newest Estes Blacklist International skin in the upcoming global tournament. In a livestreaming event held last August 16, the power squad showcased the skin to its fans and demonstrated its in-game effects.
Today, the skin is now sold at its original price of 899 diamonds. It exhibits a signature black and white finish with diamond detailing on the character outfit and scroll. The silver-haired character flaunts the well-known ‘crowning pose’ of OhMyV33nus and can be paired with animations sold separately. “We are thankful for our fans who have already purchased their own Estes Blacklist International skin. Your support inspires us to do well this season, and we are bringing our best performance in every match so we can represent the country to the upcoming M4 event and use our signature skin,” said star athlete Johnmar “OhMyV33nus” Villaluna.
Meanwhile, MLBB and eSports fans can catch OhMyV33nus and Blacklist International in action as well as all the participating squads battling for pride and supremacy in the 10th season of Mobile Legends Professional League - Philippines (MPL-PH) live and in-person at the iCite Building Auditorium in Bagumbayan, Quezon City every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They must first submit a negative antigen test result taken within the day. They can also purchase an antigen test kit on-site for Php150. Vaccination cards or proof of COVID-19 certification are also required. Attendees are encouraged to line up at the registration area at least 30 minutes before the start of the show. Tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis for free. Only 90 people can be accommodated for the Friday and Sunday games and 70 people for Saturday.
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MPL Philippines Introduces Dannica Suazo As Newest Online Correspondent For Season 10
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| (Image Source: Ungeek.ph/MPL Philippines) |
MPL Philippines (MPL-PH) officially unveils content creator and streamer Dannica "Boss D" Suazo as its official online correspondent. In partnership with Tier One Entertainment, MPL-PH will collaborate with Boss D to update fans on the league’s latest initiatives to give back to them. “I’ve been a fan of the MPL Philippines and I’m grateful to be their newest content ambassador. Having played Mobile Legends: Bang Bang for a while now, I’m extremely excited to be part of the league to share good news with our fans. Stay tuned for our announcements soon," says renowned gaming creator Dannica.
As the MPL-PH content ambassador, Boss Dwill spearhead the league’s initiatives as it celebrates its 10th season. This includes the much-awaited MPL-PH 10 Legends nominations that will give the community a voice to vote for their idols to be inducted to the MPL-PH Hall of Legends. She is also expected to host watch parties during the Regular Season and Playoffs to allocate prizes for the fans. Boss D will also share announcements through her Facebook handle at https://www.facebook.com/DannicaSuazoOfficial/.
MPL-PH Season 10’s concept ‘LAKAS NA10 TO’ aims to celebrate the league’s achievements in eSports, talents, and community building. Each week, the league provides giveaways to the community such as in-game diamonds and gift certificates from brand partners. Catch MPL-PH Season 10 every Friday, Saturday and Sunday live on MPL Philippines' official YouTube channel with select games aired on Friday at 10:30 pm and weekends at 10:00 pm on Net 25 and its official Facebook page and YouTube channel.
