esports

M2 Group Stage Predictions

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An article about how the group stages of a tournament would play out.

Originally Published: 15th January 2021 on eGG Network

All the teams competing at M2 – the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang World Championship we’ve been waiting for – are set and ready to go at each other’s throats to secure a spot in the Playoffs. For those who are new to the MLBB competitive scene and M2 will be your first tournament, here’s a quick preview of what to look forward to next week!

Group A

RSG – winners of MPL-MY/SG S5, and 4th at S6, 2nd at the MLBB 4 Nations Cup, the Singaporean powerhouse squad are known for their disciplined and coordinated teamplay. The team have managed to remain consistent for the past year and are looking in good shape moving forward despite struggling at the One Esports MLBB Invitational (getting knocked out after their first match). With the first tournament of the year being in their own country, it bodes well for them to start off 2021 with a bang!

Unique Devu – Most of Unique Devu’s players were from Deus Vult – Russia’s representatives at M1, so they’ll be back to redeem themselves after their poor performance (they failed to qualify for the playoffs). It’s not often we get Russian teams in this part of the world, so it’ll be interesting to watch how the different playstyles match up – being in a group with two top-tier SEA teams isn’t going to make things easy for them!

Burmese Ghouls and RSG faced off not too long ago in the lower bracket finals of the MPLI 4 Nations Cup (they lost 2-1), so this will be their chance at revenge. At M1, they completely dominated their group without losing a single match but were eliminated at 4th place by Todak during the playoffs. The team has remained consistent in their performance throughout the past year, so we’ll see if they can recreate the magic.

Predictions:

While the matches between RSG and Burmese Ghouls could go either way, we believe that the homecourt advantage, experience and discipline of RSG will tilt the group stage in their favour. Burmese Ghouls in second and Unique Devu third.

Group B

Todak – In Group B, fans will be pleased to see the undefeated squad from MPL-MY/SG S6 back together on the big stage (after trying out 2 new players for the One Esports MPL Invitational). If the Malaysian team can return to their S6 form, this group should be a cakewalk for them. They also got 3rd at M1, after being eliminated by RRQ.

Omega Esports, 2nd place winners at MPL-PH S6, will try to throw a wrench in Todak’s plans, but they haven’t shown their best form since then. However, Impunity shouldn’t pose too much of a threat to them.

Impunity – Cambodia’s strongest team, they qualified to M1 in 2019 but failed to make it out of the group stage (winning a grand total of 0 games). A lot of time has passed and since then, they have replaced most of their players. They’re still a force to be reckoned with locally, but on the international stage, they have a lot to prove.

Predictions:

Todak shouldn’t have too much trouble with this group, and Omega should finish second with Impunity at third.

Group C

10S Gaming Frost are an exciting team to look out for – we don’t see them often here and at M1 (they were known as 10S Gaming+) they managed a 5/6th place finish despite being in a tough group. However, the lineup has changed since then, with only 2 members of the original squad remaining (Obuyan and Pappa). Unfortunately for them, it seems that luck wasn’t on their side during the group stage draw as they ended up with Bren Esports and Alter Ego.

Alter Ego – winners of the One Esports MLBB Invitational, they have been seeded in the group of death against one of the strongest teams in the world right now – Bren Esports, winners of MPL-PH S6. However, one of their players can’t make it to the tournament due to Covid-related issues, so they’ll have some adjusting to do.

Bren Esports – a team full of MPL champions (some of them two-time MPL winners), they’re looking like the favourites for their group. However, since they lost the One Esports MLBB Invitational to Alter Ego in the grand finals, this group stage will give them a shot at revenge. If things go according to plan, they are favoured to finish first in their group, but unfamiliarity against the Japanese 10S Gaming Frost could catch them off guard.

Predictions:

Bren Esports should take this one easily, followed by Alter Ego, but we are hoping to be proven wrong by 10S Gaming Frost – after all, who doesn’t love an underdog story?

Group D

EVOS SG – the team performed poorly at M1, failing to even make it out of the group stage. Since then, the team has improved significantly and even made it to 2nd place at MPL-MY/SG S6. For this tournament, they brought back Zeys, who was said to be integral to their performance at MPL-MY/SG S4. With rumours of the team disbanding afloat only time will tell if this team will go out with a successful final hurrah.

RRQ – winners of MPL-ID S6, the squad is considered one of the best teams of the region, and at M2 they managed a second-place finish. With additional titles under their belt and a wealth of experience, will they be able to secure the title this time around? They’re definitely one of the favourites to win the tournament.

Dreammax – With players from Geo esports (M1 representatives), they will try to redeem themselves this year after failing to make it out of the group stage. Them being put in a group with EVOS SG and RRQ isn’t going to help their chances, but they’ve had a wealth of experience over the past year which should help them against the more well-known teams. Like with 10S Gaming Frost, they have the potential to make an underdog run this tournament.

Update (7pm): Hopefully their Covid issues won’t affect their gameplay too much.

Predictions:

It’s going to be a tough fight between RRQ and EVOS for first place, but we think the Indonesians can pull it off, despite the home ground advantage. Dreammax to finish third in the groups – but as usual, we woud love to be proven wrong!

M2 kicks off this Monday, 18th January. Don’t miss the action which will be streamed live on Astro eGG Network TV (CH800), Astro Arena (CH801/CH802 HD) and Facebook! Stay tuned to eGG Network for all the latest updates. What are your group stage predictions?

RED vs Reborn and the MPL-MY S7 Invitation

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An investigative piece about invitations and organizational disputes of an esports team.

Originally Published: 5th February 2021 on eGG Network

The invitations to the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League were announced earlier this week and there have been some interesting decisions by Moonton. Even though RSG and EVOS SG were at MPL-MYSG S6, the organizations will be fielding completely different squads from their Singaporean counterparts. But since the invitations belong to organizations instead of the players, it wasn’t too big of a surprise to see them in the announcement.

MPL-MY S7 invitations

What’s surprising is the glaring omission Red Esports or Red Reborn Esports – the team placed sixth at the previous season of MPL-MY/SG and should be part of the seventh season. 

“Wait a minute, aren’t they just Reborn Esports?” you might ask. While they might share the name of the team that competed in season six, Reborn Esports are not Red Reborn or Red Esports. Did the team break up? Disband? What happened?

Since Reborn has been in the spotlight before regarding contractual issues, we thought we’d shed some light on the situation. We’ll be reporting from both sides of the story so you can form your own opinion on the situation. We spoke to Siti Nurul Syahirah, personal assistant to Red Esports’ CEO; Intan Syazana, a marketing executive of Red Esports; and Hawkeye, team manager of Reborn Esports.

Legend

Bella Ciao – the team which consists of Silo, Cakbu, Eren, Mal, Mom and Grengo, used the name Bella Ciao instead of Reborn Esports when they competed in the qualifiers of MPL-MYSG S6.

Red Reborn – Bella Ciao/Reborn Esports, which was renamed after signing a deal with Red Esports. Red Reborn was used to signify the collaboration of the two organizations.

Red Esports – the same team Red Reborn, but renamed after the conclusion of MPL-MYSG S6.

Reborn Esports – roster currently unknown, invited to MPL-MY S7.

Hakweye – manager of Reborn Esports, formerly manager of Red Reborn.

History

Team Bella Ciao, Reborn Esports Facebook

Reborn Esports, after losing their invitation to MPL Season 6 due to prior contractual issues with Orange Esports, competed in the qualifiers as Bella Ciao, to earn a spot in the league. After qualifying, they signed with Red Esports and were rebranded as Red Reborn for the tournament. They placed decently at the tournament, finishing the playoffs at sixth place. Based on the invitations for season seven, they should have gotten one as well – which they did. But here is where things get messy.

Contracts, the birth of Reborn Ventures

According to Hawkeye, the Reborn and Red Esports deal was only a sponsorship deal to them, and they weren’t supposed to own the team. Red Esports disagreed saying that to them, it was more than just a sponsorship deal – after all, they had provided the players with equipment, a training house and more. Right off the bat, there was already some miscommunications but it wasn’t a problem at that point in time. Red Esports claimed that they had let a third party (Hawkeye) handle the responsibility of registering the team for MPL-MY/SG S6 so they didn’t go through the paperwork.

After MPL-MYSG S6 concluded, Red Esports wanted to continue sponsoring the players for the upcoming season. As part of their agreement with the organization, they wanted Red Esports to promise them the S7 invitation. Since Red Esports were pleased with the team’s performance, they were happy to oblige.

The declaration form, Reborn Esports Facebook

However, they were told by Moonton that players weren’t allowed to hold invitations – invitations had to belong to an organization. This led to Silo setting up a dummy company, Reborn Ventures, to accept the invitation on behalf of the players. The transfer of the invitation took place in November. Since the players were essentially part of Red Esports, they had no issues with it.

Trouble brewed last month when Red Esports decided that they wanted to rebrand the team to just Red Esports instead of keeping it as Red Reborn (their name for season 6). Silo, unhappy with the decision started to question their authority and disobey commands. This led to his suspension from Red Esports until the end of his current contract (16th May 2021). Because it was considered a breach of contract, he will not receive his remaining salary and will not be allowed to compete for another team (since he’s technically still under Red Esports).

Silo’s suspension, Red Esports Facebook

Consequences

When the invitations to MPL-MY S7 went out, Red Reborn’s invitation was given to Reborn Esports, since they had signed it away. Moonton followed the rules and honoured an agreement (the transfer of the invitation from Red Esports to Reborn Esports) when it came to giving out the invitations. Whether or not Moonton knew that the Red Reborn players were on Red Esports and not Reborn Esports is up in the air – the company has declined to comment on the situation. Since Silo can’t compete for Reborn Esports in S7, the organization has signed a completely new roster (to be announced in the near future).

Red Esports claims that they have spoken to Moonton regarding the situation but the game developer failed to address their queries. What happens next then? Red Esports will have to go through qualifiers in order to make it to the upcoming season. We all know how much of a coin toss the qualifiers can be – a single off match can spell disaster for the team regardless of how good they are. While it feels wildly unfair when a group of players who worked so hard lose out on an opportunity to compete just because of some questionable actions by one person (according to Red Esports, the players on the roster weren’t fully aware of Silo’s actions), they’ve been through the grind before so it won’t be their first rodeo.

What can be done in the future?

We’re not sure either what rules need to be changed when it comes to invitations. Problems arise when too much power is given to the players (they have the ability to leave any organization they want), and too much power is given to the organizations (they can replace their players with no consequences). There needs to be a balance. However, in this case, it is clear to see that not inviting the players who placed sixth at MPL-MYSG S6 is extremely questionable, especially when they are still playing together as part of the same organization albeit the name change. 

We will update this article when/if we receive additional information.

So much drama before the MPL-MY S7 season has even begun. We wonder what else is in store! What do you guys think about the situation? Any hot takes? Make sure you tune in for the qualifier finals that will be taking place this weekend, 7th February 2021. Stay tuned to the MPL-MY and eGG Network Facebook Page to keep abreast of all the latest MLBB news!

Further reading:

Red Esports Facebook: 1,2

Reborn Esports Facebook: 1

Reborn Speak Out About Losing Their Invitation to MPL-MY/SG S6

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An investigative piece I wrote about an esports team losing their spot in a league despite a podium finish the previous season.

Originally Published: 23rd July 2020 on eGG Network

Updates to this story have been added below

After the conclusion of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League Malaysia/Singapore Season 5 (MPL-MY/SG S5), people were left wondering about the fate of Orange Esports Reborn. Reborn (previously known as Saiyan Reborn) was sponsored up by Orange Esports earlier this year for MPL-MY/SG S5. They survived the qualifier gauntlet and finished at a respectable third place in the playoffs, losing to Resurgence SG, the team that would go on to win the whole tournament against Geek Fam.

Reborn at MPL-MY/SG S5

Based on a Facebook post by the team recently, it looks like not all is well – Reborn announced that they are no longer with Orange Esports, and as a result have lost their invitation to MPL-MY/SG S6. It seems that after their contract ended with Orange Esports, they couldn’t find common ground to work together. The team also claimed that their offer to work together with the organization being rejected.

Screenshot of the Facebook post
Translated to English

There were some questionable decisions made by the team and Orange, mentioned in the post – according to Reborn, they weren’t even officially signed to Orange for MPL-MY/SG S5 because of some mistakes in the contract that Orange refused to correct. This implies that they were playing under the Orange banner unsigned during S5. In the burgeoning world of esports with countless stories of players being on the losing end of deals, not having all the details worked out is never a good thing.

On the other hand, this post highlights an issue with the current MPL invitation system. As it stands, invitations are given to organizations instead of players, so when organizations decide to release rosters, players who earned the right to participate at the tournament are out of luck. To play in the upcoming MPL season, Reborn will have to go through the grind of open qualifiers and qualifiers to earn their spot again. Orange can just sign another squad to keep their spot in the league.

While this rule is in place to protect organizations from being taken advantage of by players, there’s nothing to protect players in a reverse situation (like what happened to Reborn).

Reborn

Esports teams aren’t like traditional sports organizations – where the popularity of a sports team comes from its legacy, and sometimes location (a lot of people support their home team just because). In esports, a lot of viewers will choose to follow players regardless of their team. With less physical barriers in place in the world of video games (thanks to the internet), players swapping teams is a matter of simply editing their in-game details. Some players have even created their own organizations to put their own interests first (OG, Team Nigma), instead of having to answer to upper management and investors.

Who should tournament organizers strive to protect? Players who do the heavy lifting of playing the game, or the companies that financially support players to do so?

At the end of the day, there’s no perfect solution to the problem at hand, as we have learned from other scenes. For example in Dota 2, there was a point where invitations were given to players instead of organizations – this led to an imbalance in power dynamics, with all the negotiating power on the side of players instead of organizations. Companies had little incentive to sign teams since they could walk away at any time with no repercussion. However, the shift in power has been fluctuating to and fro. Game companies and tournament organizers are still trying to find that sweet spot.

At this time of writing, we’re unsure of how the situation will play out. We’ve reached out to both Reborn and Orange Esports for their comments and will update the article accordingly. If Reborn do compete in the open qualifier and make it to the regular season, you can be sure that matches between them and Orange are going to be a bloodbath. Grab your popcorn, it’s going to be an exciting season!

UPDATE 24/7

We spoke to the manager of Reborn and he had these points to add:

  • Orange Esports was only a sponsor for MPL-MY/SG S5 – Reborn are their own organization.
  • There were numerous mistakes in the contract which stopped Reborn from signing it.
  • They claimed that Orange Esports had promised them corrected contracts, but management kept delaying them.
  • He was particularly upset about the contract lasting only two months – ending just before the MPL-MY/SG S5 playoffs. Also, he believed that the contract should have been for at least a year.
  • They didn’t speak out against Orange earlier because they had hopes of settling the issue amicably. Unfortunately, their offer was shot down.
  • Despite not signing the contract, Reborn still gave up a cut of their prize money to Orange Esports.
  • Moonton has refused to comment on the situation.
  • He believes that in the future, invitations should go to organizations that own the team, instead of sponsors – like in this case, they should go to Reborn and not Orange.

UPDATE 26/7

Orange Esports has not directly addressed the statement by Reborn, but the organization posted on Facebook their participation in MPL-MY/SG S6 with an unrevealed roster. They also published screenshots of emails from Moonton regarding the organization invitation to the tournament.

Source: Orange Esports Facebook

UPDATE 27/7

Reborn has qualified for MPL MY/SG S6 going through the opens – this is going to be spicy!

Remember to follow eGG Network for all the latest news and updates of MPL-MY/SG S6. Don’t forget to tune in for the open qualifier action kicking off this Friday!

eGG Network and Esports Integrated present Jalur 14, Malaysia’s First Esports Docuseries

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eGG-Network-and-Esports-Integrated-present-Jalur-14-Malaysias-First-Esports-DocuseriesDownload

Originally Published: 16th November 2020 via eGG Network

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eGG Network and Esports Integrated present Jalur 14 Malaysia’s First Esports Docuseries

Premiering 26th November, 9PM on eGG Network

PUTRAJAYA, 16 NOVEMBER 2020 – eGG Network, Astro’s Esports channel and platform, partners with Esports Interacted (ESI), an initiative to catalyse a vibrant, sustainable and inclusive Esports ecosystem powered by Impact Integrated under the purview of the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) ) to present Jalur 14, a 5-part docuseries chronicling the rise of Esports and the gaming industry in Malaysia over the last 14 years.

Jalur 14 recounts the tales of 14 Malaysian icons including internationally famed players Chai ‘Mushi’ Yee Fung, Ng ‘YamateH’ Wei Poong and Malaysia’s first Esports gold medalist Dr. Yew Weng Kean, along with young bloods in the industry such as Mohd Fariz ‘Soloz’ Zakaria, Ahmad Fuad ‘Fredo’ bin Razali, Andriyana ‘Chuchu Gaming’ binti Mohamed Ghazali, and more. From zeroes to heroes, they share their struggles, challenges, and experiences on their path to success of putting our Jalur Gemilang on the world map.

Lee Choong Khay, Head of Sport, eGG Network, Astro said, “We’re glad to co-produce this first-of-its- kind docuseries with ESI that tells the stories of people who have championed and built up the Malaysian gaming and Esports industry. We along with gamers and fans are also delighted that KBS continues to

recognise and support the industry through its various efforts and hope we can continue to work together to build local talents who will go forward to make an impression on the international stage.

Our belief is that Esports is not just about playing games, and this is reflected in Jalur 14. We highlight key persons who have impacted the industry in various ways, such as Hasnul who has supported local game developers and animation studios, along with those involved on an international level such as game developer Wan Hazmer, and Dota 2 commentator and game analyst WinteR.

We would also like to thank our sponsors Yoodoo, Zotac, Predator and Suncycle who have supported us on this journey. We hope fans enjoy the docuseries on eGG Network and also feel proud of how far our nation has moved forward in Esports and gaming.”

Ahmed Faris Amir, CEO of Impact Integrated said, “We’re happy to have like-minded partners like eGG Network who share our goals in building the Esports industry in Malaysia. Some of the stories shared on Jalur 14 brings to light the need for a sustainable Esports ecosystem. We hope more industry players will come along with us in this journey to create structures and programmes that provide diverse opportunities for every link in the chain of the industry. As we look back on how far we have come, we can move forward to achieve greater towards the growth of Esports in Malaysia.”

Minister of Youth and Sports, Yang Berhormat Dato’ Sri Reezal Merican Naina Merican said, “KBS continues to believe in the potential of the Esports and gaming industry. With RM15mil allocated for Esports in the recent budget announcement, we want our initiatives to create opportunities that will upskill and develop our youth who are passionate for this industry. We’re very proud of the talents highlighted in Jalur 14. We hope that their stories inspire passionate gamers to become key movers in Malaysia’s Esports industry.”

Watch the first episode of Jalur 14 on 26 November 2020, 9PM on eGG Network Astro CH800, available to all Astro subscribers.

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About eGG Network

eGG Network started out as a channel on Astro and has evolved to become a gaming and Esports platform that offers 360° marketing services and tournament organization to game publishers, tournament owners and advertisers to reach, engage and monetise the gaming and Esports fanbase in ASEAN. It offers hosting, production, broadcast, talents, and event management services for Esports tournaments and leagues to create a holistic experience for fans. Among its notable achievements are the Kuala Lumpur Major and the Mobile Legends Professional League. Influencer marketing is a new service offered to help build

talents, hosts, and livestreamers towards the growth of the industry and to further engage with the fans in the region.

eGG Network is broadcasted in 8 countries, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Australia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Myanmar, with more to come. Connect with us on our social platforms and on www.egg.network.

Follow eGG Network:
Facebook: facebook.com/eGGNetwork Twitter: twitter.com/everygoodgame Instagram: instagram.com/egg_network Tik Tok: tiktok.com/@eggnetwork

About Esports Integrated (ESI)

Esports Integrated (ESI) is an initiative to catalyse a vibrant, sustainable and inclusive Esports ecosystem powered by Impact Integrated under the purview of the Ministry of Youth and Sports. At ESI, we aim to create structures and programmes to support the establishment of a vibrant, sustainable and inclusive ecosystem which enables growth, ensures protection and expands diversity. As an initiative, ESI cares about nurturing and encouraging the growth and expansion of the Esports ecosystem while at the same time ensuring that the ecosystem’s environment embraces healthy values and is inclusive.

Let’s connect with ESI!
Facebook: facebook.com/esportsintegrated Twitter: twitter.com/esi_tweet
Instagram: instagram.com/esportsintegrated Youtube: Esports Integrated

Request Backup, a Taglish MLBB Podcast

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In 2021, I was tasked with developing a podcast for eGG Network about one of the biggest esports in the region – Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. Working together with the host of the show, Leo, we fleshed out the initial idea and concept and successfully launched a mini-season. There were 5 episodes in total and they were broadcast live on eGG Network’s Facebook Page, weekly from 27 September until 25th October 2020.

The show was centred around MLBB, its esports scene in the Phillippines, and various other topics pertaining to the game.

Launch announcement

VODs

Allan Phang, Chief Marketing Officer, Galay Racer: From College Dropout to Esports

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Originally Published: 30th July 2021 on eGG Network

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Colourful Beginnings

When you think esports, the first thing that comes to mind would probably be an awkward generation Z kid or millennial decked out in a team jersey, constantly glued to their phone, and unable to form coherent sentences in front of bright lights and cameras. Shine the spotlight on Allan Phang and he’ll show you otherwise, demonstrating that people in the esports industry come from all walks of life and there’s no such thing as being “too old”!

“During my college break, I saw a paintball field near my place, Sunway Extreme Park, played a few rounds there and got to know some of the regulars. Since I learned how to make websites in college, I helped build a website for one of the teams there and got invited to join them. I also started a forum that became the Lowyat forum of the paintball community in Malaysia,” recalls Allan, about his younger days. Fun fact: he dropped out of college because he felt that the academic life wasn’t for him.

The stint with the paintball team eventually sent him down a career path where he took the pastime to new heights in the country. From importing paintball gear to organizing and running international tournaments, his efforts helped to legitimize the sport’s competitiveness in Malaysia. For almost a decade, he was heavily involved in the paintball business, and which also opened a lot of doors for him, thanks to the connections he made.

One of these acquaintances was with Tony Fernandes, the founder of AirAsia, who offered him a job after he left the paintball trade. “After I left paintball, I emailed Tony asking him if there were any opportunities at AirAsia. Within seven minutes he replied! I went to their headquarters for an interview and got into the company,” said Phang, who worked at the airline for many years before he was introduced to the world of esports – which was somewhat an accident according to him.

It Started With A Jersey

“It wasn’t in my job description, I created it per se. I didn’t know what esports was. It was like an alien word. In 2017 a pilot came up to me and said, ‘Tony Fernandes knows about esports and Twitch.’ What is esports? I replied, sounds dodgy.. What is Twitch? I know how to twitch my eye lah and I thought of The Rock a.k.a Dwayne Johnson from WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), because he always twitches his eyebrows. I felt like I was living under a rock” That sent him down the rabbit hole when he started googling the term and discovered that it was a streaming platform that Amazon bought for $970 million in 2014 – a huge deal he was painfully unaware of.

The thing that caught his attention was the number of eyeballs the platform had. “Esports was perfect for spectating, and it was going to be very valuable in the eyes of the brands. It was a gold mine. Since no airline or big non-endemic brand in the region was getting into it back in 2017, I thought, why not AirAsia?”

“It wasn’t easy to get buy-in from management, so I had to create awareness and generate hype around it to show how big the industry was.” He spent his own money to create a hundred customized AirAsia jerseys which he gave around to the decision-makers in the office – people with pull and influence. His plan was education and awareness – he encouraged them to wear the jersey in the office every Thursday to create a buzz. By doing so, he had an army of influencers in the building!

Eventually, this led to a meeting with Datuk Kamarudin Bin Meranun, AirAsia’s Chairman, because he asked for a jersey, and Allan spent from night until morning talking to him about esports and the possibilities. That was the beginning of the airline’s esports endeavours.AirAsia started by sponsoring Mineski’s Dota 2 team (Mushi, iceiceice, Jabz, Moon (NaNa back then), and ninjaboogie), sponsoring the Alisports (Alibaba) WESG Asean tournament, and buying over the star-studded Mobile Legends: Bang Bang squad, Team Saiyan. The company had fully immersed itself in the next generation of sports and entertainment.

#EVOSROAR

Fast forward a couple of years, Allan decided to seek greener pastures elsewhere and landed the opportunity to work with Southeast Asia’s powerhouse organization, EVOS Esports as the Regional Head of Marketing & PR last year. He was supposed to fly around the different countries that EVOS operated from (Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore) to handle his duties but due to the pandemic, he was stuck in Malaysia (like the rest of us). His role was to help grow EVOS Esports’ presence beyond Southeast Asia to a global scale.

A far cry from the large, organized structure of the airline company, working at EVOS Esports required a change of mindset as it was a startup. “When I joined EVOS, I could see things from a different perspective (compared to AirAsia) and at a more-esports level. If you want to do esports, you can’t be ‘too corporate’. You have to be authentic in marketing etc. You have to give the fans and the audience what they want. I also had to approach brands on a different level. Companies here are still new to esports – we’re currently in an educational and awareness stage. It’s not like you mention ‘esports’ and people will throw money to your face. It still takes time to develop. It’s all about network, trust, and awareness.”

Working at EVOS was very flexible compared to AirAsia, he mentioned. He could speak to the media and connect to brands whenever he wanted, he didn’t have to go through the corporate communications team. “AirAsia is a lot more structured and you’re not so free to move around to do your own thing. There are a lot of SOPs and the industry itself is heavily regulated. The only reason I could move around freely to work on esports within AirAsia was because it wasn’t a core business, it was more like a marketing initiative and I was tasked to spearhead it.” In the year he spent at EVOS, Allan executed the public relations strategy for brand collaborations with PUMA, Yamaha, Visa, and more.

To The Moon

When Allan announced that he was leaving EVOS, his inbox started blowing up with job offers. He decided to join Galaxy Racer because they had a vision he believed in and he saw himself as being part of their journey. Fun fact: Galaxy Racer is a portmanteau of Galaxy Express 999 and Speed Racer – two anime/manga properties about an exciting future – an apt description for the forward-looking company. The group company (Riva Technology and Entertainment) has been diversifying its portfolio over the past year by investing in many different projects such as a camera for influencers, mobile games based on The Umbrella Academy, and even hiring an ex-Disney veteran, Guenther Hake.

Allan will be handling marketing duties for Galaxy Racer on a global scale while helping to expand their Malaysian and Southeast Asian reach, and his work will go beyond esports. Safe to say, we’ll be seeing a lot more of Galaxy Racer in the coming years, both in and out of the esports world as it establishes itself as a lifestyle-centric brand. “I don’t want to sound cliché, like a Faze Clan per se, but we’re moving towards that direction. Esports and gaming will be the hero, or the carry, while the rest of it will eventually be as big,” said Allan.

Growing The Scene

Phang, a 40-year-old avid gamer and a fan of PUBG Mobile, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Valorant, had some opinions about the newer games in the esports scene. He sees Free Fire as being a legitimate contender based on how much work Garena is putting in right now, while Wild Rift is catching up as they structure their esports programme globally with the influx of top teams from US, Europe, Asia and South America.

“Those with hyperlocal content and structure will be able to thrive and scale faster because most Thais are more comfortable with Thai language, Indonesians with Bahasa Indonesia and so on. You won’t hear about Vietnamese gamers getting into English content. That will be the challenge for Wild Rift but I believe Riot Games with their community-driven approach, should be able to penetrate those markets with their hyperlocal strategies.” He foresees all the staple esports organizations (i.e. Team Liquid) boarding the Wild Rift train soon even though a lot of them aren’t in MLBB at the moment.

He also shared about the state of the esports scene in Malaysia – we’re growing, but we’re nowhere close to being matured when compared to our neighbours like Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. “Those markets are already matured because they are sustainable in the sense that money is coming in – from investors, brands, revenue share and broadcasting rights in franchised leagues and so on. In some of those franchised leagues, it costs from over US$500k to US$1million for a team slot. As for Malaysia, we are currently ‘fighting’ with Singapore in 2020/2021 – you can see that their government has been very active, hosting events like the Singapore Major and M2 while Malaysia has to step up! But with the current blueprint implemented by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and ESI, we’re starting to see things finally move along since they have an allocated budget and a mandate to execute esports initiatives across Malaysia.”

Parting Words

He shared some advice for people looking for a career in esports. “People have the misconception that you need to know esports in order to join the industry, but that’s not true. A lot of skills are transferable – a lot of teams and publishers are looking for people in development, finance, legal roles and so on. You’re not required to have an esports background, I wasn’t from esports previously before I joined. It’s all about how you put yourself out there so people know who you are and what you do. You also have to do your market research and go onground to connect with the esports community. I went to a lot of esports tournaments and events (pre-pandemic) to understand the market nuances and connect with industry and community leaders.”

Phang mentioned that he started branding himself in his early 20s – a skill he learned out of necessity when he had to promote his small paintball business during a time when the sport hadn’t caught on yet, and since then it’s become a lifestyle. As a result, Allan has been invited to numerous talks and conferences to share and educate the public about esports, and his inbox is constantly flooded with messages from brands wanting to get into esports and parents asking him how their children can get into the scene.

“It’s good to have personal branding, especially use LinkedIn as a form of networking with other organizations in and out of esports – people need to know that you exist. Nowadays if you go through the hiring system of LinkedIn, you have to submit your application to the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and the AI will scan through your resume and if you don’t qualify, it usually ends up in a black hole. As a workaround for these filters, you need to have some presence on social media to build your digital footprint so that potential employers will know that you are out there.”

“One day in esports is a hundred days in real life,” he said when sharing about how fast-paced the world of esports can be. “And to all those out there interested in joining the esports industry, go for it. It’s a sunrise industry and has a bright future!”

Galaxy Racer has some exciting news in the coming months, including their recent esports marketing activation with Arsenal superstar Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (beyond that, he wouldn’t spill the beans to us yet), so stay tuned to eGG Network and we’ll keep you posted. To find out more about Allan Phang or get in touch with him, check out his official website.

New Wings: An Interview With Berjaya Dragons’ Wild Rift Squad

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Originally Published: 18th March 2021 on eGG Network

Text Version:

Despite Wild Rift being a relatively new game, it has already managed to attract the attention of esports organizations in the region, with one of them being League of Legends Pacific Champion Series contenders – Berjaya Dragons. When they first learned that the mobile version of LoL was coming, they quickly assembled a team of formidable, young talent combined with experienced veterans.

The team had a promising showing at their first major tournament, the SEA Icon Series: Preseason. After being knocked down to the lower bracket on the first day by eventual winners, Geek Fam, the team fought their way back to the grand finals and took it all the way to five games. Unfortunately, their strong 2-0 start wasn’t enough for them to bring it home.

“Bleh!” the whole team said in unison when I brought up the Preseason.

Edwardo laughed, “We could have won!”

I pressed on, “What was it like losing to Geek Fam?”

“Well, it kinda sucks since it was a 2-0 lead then we blew it up to a 2-3. There were already memes going around. We bamboozled our fans. Like the tweet from Riot Games SEA Esports Project manager: Congratulations to BJD for winning Icon Series MY Preseason. Surely Geekfam can’t come back from being 0-2 down. Two hours later, we were second place,” said Sagi.

Berjaya Dragons Wild Rift comprises of:

  • Chin “TaintedOnes” Wei Song – Jungler
  • Liew “Sagi” Kuan Chuen – Dragon lane
  • Yap “Kagame” Li Aw – Mid lane
  • Yong “Karuto” Jia Le – Mid lane (sub)
  • Lim “Hoki” Tou Jye – Support*
  • Ong “Emotion” Hock Ming – Baron lane*
  • Shahril “Nenas” Anuar – Baron lane (sub)
  • Jonathan “Chilly” Chan – Coach
  • Edward “Edwardo” Mah – Manager
  • *Hoki and Emotion were not present for the interview

With goals of being the best Wild Rift team in Southeast Asia, the current lineup was finalized in January this year after a trial period with a few tournaments under their belt. Edwardo, the team’s manager, who was in charge of putting the squad together described the process, “I found these players one by one. It started with one guy first, then I asked him if he knew anybody who would be suitable for the team. One by one I caught them. Gotta catch ’em all!”

For those familiar with the local esports scene, some of these names would ring a bell, but in case you are as clueless as me, here’s a quick rundown: Chilly, Kagame, Sagi, Hoki and Karuto were former LoL (PC) players. TaintedOnes was an Arena of Valor player (fun fact, he was on Team Tamago with Jason and Kayzeepi who are now part of the RSG SG Mobile Legends: Bang Bang squad) and Nenas was part of the Todak squad that finished 3rd at M1.

The LoL players saw Wild Rift as a chance to return to their favourite game especially after how the local scene for the PC game sputtered and died out in the country a few years ago. “Due to the lack of community support and infrastructure for the game. The best year for LoL was back in 2018 when we had the LCM, but after that, there weren’t even any small tournaments,” lamented Sagi. Nenas had wanted to try something new after leaving MLBB behind and Karuto, who wasn’t in time for the original LoL scene, saw this as an opportunity to make his dreams come true. Berjaya Dragons came calling with their golden ticket.

However, not everyone on the team is a full-time athlete just yet. Due to the fact that most of them had prior commitments before joining the organization, they couldn’t drop everything immediately and with the pandemic in full swing, it hasn’t made things any easier. Sagi and Karuto are still tertiary education students (online classes have been kind to their training schedules) while TaintedOnes still has a job as a software developer. Eventually, they would all like to play for the Dragons full-time.

The team was jovial and friendly during our call, with Edwardo, Chilly and Sagi being the most vocal. They were also kind enough to answer the novice questions I had about the team and esports. When I brought up the topic of skill versus chemistry, here’s what they had to say. “Skill is more important than chemistry because it is the base requirement to being a good player. Not to say that chemistry is not important, but it is more important compared to chemistry,” replied Chilly.

“You can build chemistry relatively easier compared to skill. Skill is something you either have or you don’t. There’s no proper path to teach it. At least for teamwork, there are guidelines on what you can do. Going along the lines, it’ll be a normal reflex. For skills, you can’t teach people how to do certain things – you can’t control their fingers,” said Sagi.

With seven players on the team, how do they decide who gets to play? “For organizations, usually the coach will decide who gets to play, in this case – myself. The coach will choose the better player. As long as you are the better player, you will get to play in the tournament…if the skill level between two players is very similar, teams can employ strategies where they swap players around depending on the strategies they want to execute,” answered Chilly.

Substitutes also have unique effects on a team – players with substitutes will try harder to avoid being benched, and substitutes will work harder so they get to play. There are also drawbacks to having subs – they might feel demotivated if they never get the chance to play. “If we don’t put you in, you’ll know that there are things you need to improve,” added Edwardo. “And if you don’t play tournaments, you’ll have more time to practise and hone your skills.”

When questioned about what it’s like being a substitute, Karuto mentioned that while it can be demotivating at times, it does push him to work harder and he promised that he won’t be a sub forever. Nenas replied that he doesn’t mind it as he’s still learning to play Wild Rift especially since he has no prior experience with LoL. “If one player isn’t good enough to play yet, the better player should be in the lineup. If you put a worse player on the team and they don’t play well, it can impact the team’s performance as a whole.”

I asked the players if there was any added pressure when playing for a big organization like Berjaya Dragons. “Back in 2018, I used to play for a part-time team comprised of friends and colleagues. At that time, we had no sponsors, so lesser commitment. No tight scrim schedules or actual commitments. When we practised, we practised, when we chilled, we chilled together. So it was more of a friendly vibe but then it eventually turned toxic because of tournaments. Compared to BJD, there are more commitments and more discipline involved. There are things you have to do so we have to treat it like a job and perform our duties.” replied Sagi.

Back to the Preseason – the team elaborated on why they couldn’t go home with the grand trophy. Sagi responded, “at the end of the day, it’s based on how we are as a team, and I think we still have a long way to go. Geek Fam showcased better team play, adaptability, countering our strategies – they did it very well. We cannot discredit them for winning the championship even though we were 2-0 ahead.”

“Congratulations to them, especially to ‘Veki. We have a coach, they don’t even have a coach!” joked Edwardo. “The main issue we are facing right now is communication and team play. Our players are individually skilled but are lacking in terms of communicating properly. It’s something we’re working on.”

Regarding scrims, they used to practise locally, but since the scene has expanded, the Dragons now mainly scrim against foreign teams. This allows them to study different regional playstyles, as well as hide strategies from their local competitors. On the topic of different regions, Sagi praised the Filipinos. “Philippines are the gods of Wild Rift right now. In terms of their mechanical skill, infrastructure of the scene, and how committed their players are to playing full-time, their passion for the game and the community support is very immense. They’ve got many large organizations supporting them. Before there was a scene for official Wild Rift tournaments, they were the first ones to host a community tournament to make sure their players got more exposure and tournament experience. The Philippines as a country itself pushed Wild Rift’s potential to the max.”

Wrapping up the interview, I asked them what organizers and Riot Games can do to prevent Wild Rift from following the same footsteps of its predecessor – “Keep the big tournaments coming, like the upcoming Summer Season. Due to the pandemic, it’s been a tough year for sponsors, despite the growth of esports viewership, but we hope they’ll stay invested and new ones will come onboard.”

And what would an article be without tips from the pros? Here’s what they had to say about improving as a player and joining the professional scene:

Edwardo: Grind solo queue. Having the required rank to play tournaments is like having a certificate for a job. If you don’t have the basic requirements, how do I justify to my boss that this Platinum guy is going to carry us to a championship? Although some players might not have the rank, they have credentials (past experience in other games) that convince us to give them a shot. Observe and put into practice things that you learn from pro player streams.

Chilly: The easiest way to get noticed and be pro is by playing ranked. First, get your rank as high as possible, and form your own team to join tournaments. Make yourself relevant to the scene and organizations will start to find you.

Karuto: Climb ranks, get to the top and people will know you. Play more games, watch tournaments and learn their strategies.

Kagame: Reach the top 200 rank for Challenger or join the competitive scene through some random teams and get some results. Even if you lose but you shine in the game, people will recognize that. Every time you lose or do something bad, watch the replay and see how you can do better in that situation so you can improve the next time you play.

TaintedOnes: If you lose a game, know why you lost it, recognize the reason – be it a trolling teammate, or you underperforming – recognize the problem so you know how to avoid it.

Nenas: Just play and get better, keep on persevering, and don’t give up.

Sagi: Be multi-role. You can’t only play one role and expect to get it every game.

And to everyone else, “Support the scene as much as you can – we need your support in order for the scene to grow. Have fun with the game, don’t stress too much on rank, you can play the game for fun as well,” said Chilly. Level-headed advice from the team’s coach. We look forward to seeing the squad play at upcoming tournaments, in the meantime, follow the players on social media (linked in the lineup under the team picture above) to catch their live streams.

Follow eGG Network for all the latest news and updates on the Wild Rift esports scene!

Jalur 14

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Researched, timelined events, fact-checked, and wrote portions of the Jalur 14 script, a five-episode docuseries about gaming and esports. Additionally, I was present during most of the shoots and stood in as an interviewer for some of the episodes. Post-production, I was involved in quality control of the episodes, editing of the English subtitles, and writing the press release and promotional content.

Originally Released: 26th November 2020 on Astro eGG Network Channel (CH800)

A docuseries chronicling the rise of esports and the gaming industry in Malaysia. Jalur 14 recounts the tales of 14 Malaysian icons including Chai “Mushi” Yee Fung, Ng “YamateH” Wei Poong, Mohd Fariz “Soloz” Zakaria, Ahmad Fuad “Fredo” Bin Razali, Andriyana Binti “ChuChu Gaming” Mohamed Ghazali, and more, as they share about their struggles, challenges, and experiences on their path to success.

Covering some of the biggest games in Malaysia, namely, Dota 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Counter-Strike, and PUBG Mobile, Jalur 14 is a must-watch for anybody who’s had any interest in the Malaysian esports and game development industry. From zeroes to heroes, these stalwarts of the scene have all broken their backs putting the Jalur Gemilang on the map.