Asia
Esports Proposed As Official Medal Sport At AIMAG 2025
Esports has been included into the proposed list of official medal sports to be contested at the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games 2025. Announced at the recently concluded 41st Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) General Assembly last week, this proposal is a step towards seeing esports elevate its status from demonstration games to a full-fledged medal event.
Set to take place in Riyadh, AIMAG 2025 will be the 7th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, and marks the first time Saudi Arabia. The next AIMAG will take place next year in Chonburi, Thailand.
If successful, having esports feature as an official medal event at AIMAG would have brought the progress full circle, following its debut in a multi-sporting event’s program at the AIMAG 2017 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan as a demonstration sport. From thereon, esports has appeared at the 2018 Asian Games as demonstration sport followed by full-medal events at the 2019 and 2021 SEA Games. Esports was also planned as a full-medal sport at the 2022 Asian Games that is currently postponed.
Mr Animesh Agarwal, Founder & CEO, 8bit Creatives, India’s leading esports consulting and talent agency & an ex-esports athlete:
With esports gaining the momentum that it has, it has made its way into various national and international platforms including the Asian Games. The most recent consideration of adding esports to AIMAG 2025, comes as a very welcome move. At a time when the gaming industry in India is getting redefined and diversifying into many new games while recovering from recent setbacks, this comes as a validation of the prominence of esports in this world. Clearly, the growth track that Gaming and Esports have been on, is going to continue.
Such developments instil a lot more confidence in the whole sporting ecosystem built around esports and is an inspiration for budding esports players to hone themselves. Our esports teams, 8bit & sOul are all motivated to work hard and represent India in these national and international tournaments and bring laurels for the country. At 8Bit Creatives, we are committed to nurturing and supporting more and more esports players in our country to put India on the global map.
Mr Lokesh Suji, Director, Esports Federation of India & Vice President of the Asian Esports Federation (AESF):
What better news than this, from the first addition of esports as a demonstration event at AIMAG 2017 to being included as a proper medal event at AIMAG 2021 (postponed due to the pandemic) and now possible inclusion at AIMAG 25 brings us immense joy & excitement. It is safe to say that Esports is not far away from being considered a mainstream sport now courtesy of the remarkable efforts undertaken by the AESF and the OCA. The event AIMAG 2025 is set to take place in Riyadh and the Saudi Arabia government recognised esports as a sport there which is very encouraging.
ESFI is proud to be a full member of the AESF and to have participated in all major sporting events conducted by the OCA. With these constant landmarks scaled by Esports on the international stage under the committee that has already recognised it as an official sport, it is now time for the Indian government to do the same as well so that we will have the proper infrastructure, training facilities and coaching given to our young esports athletes.
Rohit Jagasia, Founder & CEO, Revenant Esports:
It’s great to see Esports continue its transition into major international multi-sports events after the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. The AIMAG is a prestigious game organized by the OCA and having Esports as a full-fledged medal event in it will only increase its significance among the Indian population.
A lot of international organisations have already given official recognition to Esports and if our government was to follow suit, it would provide immense motivation to the hardworking gamers and esports athletes of the country who are already exceeding expectations in different rosters. We would definitely be excited to see India compete in Riyadh at AIMAG 2025 and win medals.
Rohit Agarwal, Founder & Director, Alpha Zegus, the next-gen marketing agency specializing in the domains of gaming & lifestyle:
It’s an absolute big win for the community. Being honoured as an official medal sport gives so much more credibility to esports, not only as a sport but as a viable career option. We need more of such instances to attract higher interest from the government, investors, and most importantly, fans. Not too long until we see Esports being placed in the same league as cricket, football, basketball, etc. and having similar fan power, scale and craze.
Asia
Esports Returns to Singapore with BLAST’s Dota 2 Arena Event After Sellout Counter-Strike World Final 2024
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BLAST Dota Slam Singapore to take place this November at Singapore Indoor Stadium in partnership with Singapore Tourism Board and AEG Presents Asia
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The world’s best Dota teams will meet in Singapore from 4th – 9th November 2025 to compete for a prize pool of $1,000,000 at the first ever BLAST Slam arena event
Esports entertainment company BLAST has announced the return of its world-class events to Singapore with the BLAST Dota Slam Singapore, set to take place in November 2025 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
This announcement follows the sellout success of the BLAST Premier World Final 2024, which marked BLAST’s Southeast Asia debut and saw more than ten-thousand fans pack out the Resorts World Convention Centre to witness the world’s top Counter-Strike teams compete for the $1 million prize pool.
Building on that momentum, Singapore will now host the BLAST Dota Slam arena event, teaming up with AEG Presents Asia again to bring together the world’s best Dota teams to battle it out for $1,000,000 in front of a live audience and millions of fans tuning in globally across 50+ territories and in 12 languages.
The BLAST Dota Slam Singapore is the latest milestone in BLAST’s global expansion into Dota 2, and reinforces Singapore’s growing reputation as a premier destination for sports and live entertainment. It marks the second consecutive year the city-state has hosted a BLAST arena tournament, following the successful Counter-Strike event in 2024.
James Woollard, Director of Market Development at BLAST, said: “Singapore delivered one of the most passionate esports crowds we’ve ever seen during last year’s BLAST Premier World Final. We’re thrilled to be returning with our next major arena show – this time for Dota 2 – and to once again partner with the Singapore Tourism Board and AEG Presents Asia to help to further grow Southeast Asia’s esports ecosystem. The response to our events in Singapore has been incredible, and this November’s Dota Slam promises to be another landmark moment for fans and for the region. Singapore has an impressive history and pedigree for the biggest international sporting events, supported by STB, and BLAST is proud to be building on this with the biggest esports events.”
Ms Lilian Chee, Director, Sports, Singapore Tourism Board, said: “We are delighted to welcome BLAST back to Singapore, this time with the Dota Slam. Building on the success of the BLAST Premier World Final, this event further reinforces Singapore’s reputation as a world-class destination for sports and live entertainment. We look forward to welcoming the passionate fans, players and partners once again to our vibrant city.”
BLAST’s return to Singapore is set to shine a global spotlight on the city while delivering significant economic benefits and meaningful destination marketing. With an estimated economic impact in the tens of millions, the tournament further demonstrates how esports events are evolving into major cultural and economic drivers for host cities – on par with large-scale traditional international sporting events.
With Singapore, Rio, London, Austin, and Lyon among the major destinations on BLAST’s global calendar this year, it is evident that governments, cities and tourism bodies are recognising the power of esports to attract young and engaged visitors, create jobs, and drive international visibility.
The post Esports Returns to Singapore with BLAST’s Dota 2 Arena Event After Sellout Counter-Strike World Final 2024 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
DSTGAMING has announced that it has been shortlisted in two prestigious categories at the SIGMA Asia Awards 2025: Best Platform and Best UI/UX. These nominations mark a significant achievement, recognising DSTGAMING’s continued dedication to delivering high-performance, user-centric solutions in the iGaming sector.
The SIGMA Asia Awards celebrate the most impactful contributors across the iGaming industry in the Asia-Pacific region. To be shortlisted in both the Best Platform and Best UI/UX categories is a strong testament to DSTGAMING’s dual focus on technological robustness and seamless user experiences.
DSTGAMING’s all-in-one iGaming platform has been widely recognised for its scalability, reliability and flexibility. With modular architecture and full customisation capabilities, the platform empowers operators to tailor offerings precisely to their market needs. Its seamless integrations, powerful backend and real-time analytics tools offer an unmatched operational advantage to partners worldwide.
In the Best UI/UX category, DSTGAMING has gained recognition for prioritising intuitive navigation, visually engaging interfaces and mobile-first designs. The platform is built to deliver a smooth, immersive player journey across all devices — critical for enhancing engagement and retention in today’s competitive market.
These dual nominations reflect DSTGAMING’s core values: innovation, user satisfaction and technical excellence. The company’s design and development teams have worked closely to align user interface aesthetics with operational functionality — ensuring both players and operators receive a seamless and responsive experience.
The post DSTGAMING Shortlisted in Two Categories at SIGMA Asia Awards 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Asia
AA Gaming Announce the Rajasthan State Esports Championship (RSEC) with Youth Affairs & Sports Department, Govt. Of Rajasthan
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Open Qualifiers
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Inter-College Knockout Rounds
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Semifinals
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Grand Finals – which will be live-streamed and culminate in a prestigious awards ceremony.
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Gaming techniques and strategic play
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Game development fundamentals
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Esports career pathways
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Mental health and well-being for athletes
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Team-building and communication
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Professional conduct in esports
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In-depth game analysis and review
The post AA Gaming Announce the Rajasthan State Esports Championship (RSEC) with Youth Affairs & Sports Department, Govt. Of Rajasthan appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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