Or why supporting local esports tournaments is important
The esports industry has grown exponentially over the past years. We saw how passionate fans from around the world filled gigantic stadiums and arenas to watch the world’s best esports athletes fight for multi-million dollar prize pools. We also witnessed how mainstream brands and sports teams recognized the significance of esports through their business ventures.
As we get accustomed to the biggest tournament prize pools, most elegant productions, and the highest level of gameplays, we sometimes neglect to look back to where it all started: in a humble cybercafe, jam-packed with dreams and aspirations of budding esports players.
Before the ESL One Manila 2016, the Manila Major, and the Manila Masters, Mineski Infinity branches would often serve as the Mall of Asia Arena for Philippine esports. It has every detail right from a flock of hyped spectators to jaw-dropping plays. The crowded venue, as well as the fact that games are casted through a megapho, ne doesn’t even matter–the local esports experience wouldn’t be complete without it anyway.
Local esports tournaments served as a stepping stone for talented Filipino players to be recognized internationally. Before the likes of Ryan “Raging-_-Potato” Qui, Carlo “Kuku” Palad, and Djardel “DJ” Mampusti got to represent the Philippines against the world’s best Dota 2 players, they all experienced playing in crowded Mineski Infinity branches for multiple Mineski Pro Gaming Leagues.
Former professional Dota 2 player Heinrich “Heinrich” Abad once highlighted the importance of local esports tournaments for the growth of the esports industry as a whole. He admitted how he sometimes feels bad about the lack of local esports tournaments in the Philippines, leaving up-and-coming players with little to no opportunities to prove their worth in competitive Dota 2.
“I feel disappointed sometimes because all the fans recognize are the big names, but I can’t really blame our local stars since they have already proven themselves while we have yet to achieve anything significant. That’s why we badly need to have opportunities to prove what we are capable of. We need to start from the bottom,” Heinrich “Heinrich” Abad, a former MPGL champion, shared.
The Globe PPGL 2018, a nationwide esports tournament which features three major esports titles across multiple gaming platforms, serves as an answer to Heinrich’s sentiments regarding the importance of local esports tournaments in the Philippines. Similar to the MPGL, the Globe PPGL 2018 is an evolved outlet for the abundance of talent from aspiring Filipino esports players.
The Globe PPGL 2018 also serves as a venue for Filipino esports fans to recognize and keep track of budding esports athletes. It’s also a medium for fans to be introduced to the local competitive meta, some of which have yet to be discovered internationally, like how the Filipinos shocked the entire world with their Bottle-Crow mechanic in the WC3 DotA.
This weekend, on March 24 to 25, the country’s most promising players are about to take a step closer to their esports dreams at the Globe PPGL 2018 grand finals. Four Dota 2 teams, four Arena of Valor teams, and eight Tekken 7 players will all fight for the prodigious PHP 800,000 prize pool and championship title at the Glorietta 2 Activity Center, in Makati.
