Melany M. September 4, 2019
Dota 2 will be a medal event in the upcoming 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
For the first time, esports will be a medal event in a competition sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee. This achievement was possible thanks to the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta where esports were featured as a demonstration event.
Esports received support from big names in the region like Razer’s CEO Min-Liang Tan, who lobbied for esports to be included at the Philippines 2019 games. Tan achieved his goal, as esports are now in Category 3 that includes newer games and regional sports. Razer will provide hardware, services, and any type of support necessary during the event.
A commission determined which titles were eligible for Philippines 2019. The titles in question couldn’t promote violence or gambling. The commission also evaluated how popular and competitive are the titles, how physically and mentally demanding they are, and how much teamwork they require.
Olympics Committee approves esports at Asian Games
In the end, six titles were selected, divided into three categories: PC, console, and mobile. Dota 2, StarCraft 2, and Hearthstone are in the PC category. Arena of Valor and Mobile Legends are in the mobile category, and Tekken 7 will be the only game played on console.
Jakarta 2018 also featured six titles including League of Legends and Clash Royale. This is the first time Dota 2 makes the cut and is included in the event. Hearthstone, StarCraft 2, and Arena of Valor are returning in 2019.
Eleven nations will compete in Philippines 2019, including Vietnam, the Philippines, and Singapore. All three are countries with growing esports scenes. Vietnam was the team with the most medals in Jakarta 2018, while the national team walked away with four bronze medals. Vietnam is certainly considered to be the team to watch at Philippines 2019.
The esports events at Philippines 2019 will take place at the Filoil Flying V Center between December 5 and December 8.