Asia
Esports Integrated (ESI) Announces the Success of Malaysia Esports League 2021 (MEL21) and the Closing of MEL21 National League (Nationals)
Esports Integrated (ESI), an initiative under the purview of the Ministry of Youth & Sports (KBS), today announces the successful organisation and completion of Malaysia Esports League 2021 (MEL21) Nationals. The inaugural nationwide esports league for grassroots was held in 2 stages; State Leagues on 10 July till 8 August 2021 and Nationals on 14 August till 31 August 2021.
A total of 288 players from 64 teams representing 13 states and 3 Federal Territories competed in MEL21 Nationals in 4 game titles; PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Mobile (PUBGM), Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), EA Sports FIFA21 and Dota 2. Winners of each category brought home RM20,000 prize money, champion’s medal and the title of MEL21 National Champion. MEL21 was organised by ESI in collaboration with 16 state esports associations. Almost 30,000 local grassroot players registered for the fully virtual competition, held in accordance with the SOPs set under the National Recovery Plan – Phase 1.
For PUBGM, matches were held on 14, 15, 16 August with 22 August 2021 as the Final match day. 15 rounds were held throughout 4 tournament days using point system format, competing in 3 maps, Sanhok, Erangel and Miramar. Team Farang Guerrilla from Selangor emerged victorious, with the highest kill count of 13 during Final day. Team Farang Guerilla consists of Adib Syazwan bin Abd Razak (team captain), Nur Muhammad Safiuddin bin Abdul Jabar, Muhammad Abbas bin Saufi and Mohammad Helmi Eizlan bin Mohammad Ehsan.
For Dota 2, group matches were held on 17 & 18 August 2021. All 16 teams were split into 4 groups competing in a league format in “Best of 1” matches before moving into knockout rounds. “Best of 3” matches were held during the knockout rounds, with 4 league group winners progressing into Upper Bracket, whilst 4 teams with the highest points moving into Lower Bracket. Team Thanks from Sarawak emerged victorious in the final match against ANIMALS from Selangor, coming back from 2-0 deficit to win the match in the fifth game with the score line of 2-3. Team Thanks consists of Benedict Chin Kuok Hong (team captain), Nelson Chin Kuok Chiat, Raymond Then Wan Jia, Nicholas Chin Kuok Chun and Low Kin Siong.
For FIFA21, matches were held on 20, 21 August with 27 August as the Final Playoffs. 16 players were split into 4 groups during the initial league round before winners from each group progressed into the knockout stage during Final Playoffs. Kedah’s Muhammad Faiz Hariry (AKA OrangeFavLain) emerged as the champion, beating Perak’s Kamil Al Amini bin Jamalludi Al Amini (AKA MAXNEVIS) with golden goal in Game 3, after both players were tied in 3-3 in Game 1 & 2.
For MLBB, matches were held on 23, 24 and 30 August, before culminating in the Final Playoffs on 31 August 2021. 16 teams were split into 4 groups during the initial league stage before winners of each group progressed into the Upper Bracket knockout round and 4 teams with the highest points moving to Lower Bracket knockout round. Penang’s Cyduken emerged victorious over Terengganu’s Mikey with a score line of 3-0. Cyduken consists of Aiman Zairie bin Anuar (team captain), Muhammad Hakim bin Adanan, Muhammad Nabil bin Japri, Ahmad Zaki bin Ibrahim and Mohamed Aiman Solihin bin Mohamed Iqbal.
“With the success of the inaugural MEL, KBS through ESI are planning to continue hosting it on an annual basis to continue to support grassroots development of the esports ecosystem in Malaysia,” said Ahmed Faris Amir, the Chief Executive Officer of ESI.
“In the future edition of MEL, we hope to have more female players participating and that MEL will be more racially diverse as well,” he added to the media when asked about MEL improvement plans during the press conference.
All matches were livestreamed on the national esports tournament platform, esukan.gg and ESI’s Facebook page. A total of 2.2 million video minutes were viewed, and 700,000 total views were recorded throughout MEL21 Nationals. This exemplifies the local esports community’s appetite for exciting and competitive tournaments for the grassroots. The number of views exceeded ESI’s initial projection of 100,000 views.
Max Level will work closely with Riot’s India and South Asia teams to amplify brand campaigns, regional esports initiatives, product updates, and community-first storytelling in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and other South Asian markets. The collaboration aims to build authentic, culturally resonant narratives that reflect Riot’s mission as a player-focused organisation.
The win follows a competitive multi-agency pitch process that saw Max Level selected from among several top PR agencies. The decision was based on Max Level’s deep understanding of the gaming and esports audience, its creative-first approach, and its proven ability to drive conversation and cultural relevance.
Siddharth Nayyar, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Max Level, said, “Winning the PR mandate for Riot Games is a defining moment for us. Riot has not only shaped the modern multiplayer era but also built global communities around player-first values. We’re thrilled to help expand that legacy in India and South Asia, a region that’s growing and evolving at a breakneck pace.”
Max Level’s mandate includes ongoing campaign support for key products and IPs, regional amplification of Riot’s global esports events, as well as strategic counsel on community engagement and creator collaborations. The agency’s track record with brands like NODWIN Gaming, SuperGaming, CyberPowerPC India, KRAFTON, ESL FACEIT Group among others makes it uniquely positioned to drive culturally relevant PR in gaming and esports.
According to the Lumikai State of India Gaming Report 2024, India’s gaming market reached $3.1 billion in FY23, with projections to hit $7.5 billion by FY28, fueled by a base of over 568 million gamers, nearly half of whom are paying users. The report also highlights how India is now the largest consumer of mobile games globally, creating an immense opportunity for publishers like Riot to scale their reach and community.
The post Max Level Wins PR Mandate for Riot Games in India and South Asia appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The next highly anticipated gaming event on EGT Digital’s calendar is SiGMA Asia, which will be held on June 3rd and 4th in Manila. Together with EGT, the iGaming provider will welcome visitors at booth 1113 to reveal its impressive selection of innovations and bestsellers.
The guests will be able to try out EGT Digital’s wide range of over 140 casino games spanning a variety of themes, as well as further increase their chances of winning with the Bell Link, Clover Chance, High Cash, and Single Progressive jackpots. The 4-level multi-denomination Gods & Kings Link will be presented for the first time locally. It received positive feedback after its recent official debut and is expected to get a warm acceptance also from Asian operators and players. Currently including 3 games: Ape of Luck, Glorious Alexander, and Rise of Ra, with more to join in the coming months, it will offer the show attendees numerous bonuses and a lot of fun.
EGT Digital will also demonstrate X-Nave, its in-house developed “all-in-one” betting platform, providing all the tools and features needed for building and maintaining a successful online business or for improving current performance. X-Nave includes 4 main modules: Sport Product, Gaming Aggregator, CRM Engine, and Payment Gateway. Depending on the operators’ needs, each of them can be used as part of the complete solution or independently, as they can integrate with developments from third-party providers.
“EGT Digital’s products have enormous potential for the local markets, and SIGMA Asia provides us with a great opportunity to showcase them to many potential future clients in the region,” said Mariana Manchina, Director of EGT Philippines. “In addition, we are also looking forward to the prestigious SiGMA Asia Awards, where our company is shortlisted in the Best Sportsbook Provider 2025 and Best Platform 2025 categories.”
The post EGT Digital’s innovative developments to captivate visitors at SiGMA Asia 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
EGT is pleased to announce that it will participate in this year’s edition of SiGMA Asia, which will take place on 03 and 04 June in Manila. “We have prepared a fascinating selection of products developed specifically for the Asian markets, so don’t miss the chance to stop by our booth 1113 and learn more about it!,” said Mariana Manchina, Director of EGT Philippines.
Among the main highlights will be the 4-level progressive Zhao Cai Shuang Yu jackpot, which will be presented to the local gaming audience for the first time. Housed in the popular slot cabinet G 50 J1 Up, it will dive visitors into the world of its 2 games Prosperity Strike and Rising Coins, enabling them to collect special symbols and win at any bet level, with higher stakes increasing the likelihood of hitting the highest Grand level.
Sheng Sheng Bu Xi and Cai Fu Tian Jiang, which have already been successfully installed in various gaming venues across different countries, will also be on display. They will invite the guests to embark on captivating adventures that will reward them with riches and lots of fun. Numerous attractive bonus features will add even more thrill to the game, providing additional winning opportunities.
The top-performing G 50 C Up and G 50 J2 Up cabinets and the vast diversity of the General Series multigames will complement EGT’s slot display.
The company will present its ETG developments as well. The attendees will be able to try out the GS 32 T and S 32 T terminals, which feature frameless displays for crystal-clear visuals, numerous ergonomic functionalities, and enormous flexibility, allowing them to participate in endless configurations. The G RSA, EGT’s compact Standalone Automatic Roulette center, will also demonstrate its seamless connectivity to all the company’s play stations. The option to add an American roulette wheel further enriches the gaming choice and guarantees an engaging player experience.
EGT Digital will also showcase its extensive portfolio of iGaming solutions, featuring instant and casino games, jackpot products, as well as the in-house developed “all-in-one” betting platform X-Nave, which comprises four main modules. All this provides operators with a complete solution for building and maintaining a successful online business.
Ms. Manchina concluded: “SIGMA Asia is one of the most important gaming events in the region and I am glad that we will take part in it once again. Our participation in the previous 2 editions was very fruitful, having brought us many valuable new contacts and the opportunity to present our high-potential products to the key players in the local markets. I believe that our performance in 2025 will be the same, and it may even be better. This year, we are even more excited because EGT is a finalist in the SiGMA Asia Awards, where we will compete for the accolade in the Best Land-based Game Feature category.”
The post EGT’s Asian-themed products to make a splash at SiGMA Asia 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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