SINGAPORE: Like many other parents, Ms. Jolene Poh’s parents were initially concerned when she became interested in games in elementary school as it might interfere with her studies.
“When I started winning prizes like money or gaming gear or even a laptop, they were more supportive, but my mother still wanted me to remember that college is #1,” said Ms. Loh, 27 who started competing League of Legends mobile game age 17+.
Little did she expect that a decade later she would become part of Singapore’s debut women’s esports team, which scooped a silver medal at the Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi in May. She achieved this alongside a full-time job in the league operations of an e-sports company and part-time studies at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
Ms. Poh’s journey mirrors how e-sports, or professional competitive gaming, has evolved here over the years – an activity once described by seasoned gamers as “always addictive” but is now increasingly seen as a potential career path for some is recognized.
Almost simultaneously, Singapore is also making strides to become a preferred destination for top-tier e-sports tournaments.
In October, Singapore will become the first Southeast Asian country to host The International (TI) – the largest global tournament for the multiplayer online game Dota 2, which last year boasted more than US$40 million (US$55.3 million) in total prize money S$) bot.
This latest feather in the cap comes amid Singapore’s efforts to grab a piece of the growing esports pie. According to market research firm Newzoo, the industry’s global revenue has grown from US$996 million (S$1.37 billion) in 2020 to US$1.14 billion in 2021. This year, the figure is expected to reach $1.38 billion.
The growth course is to be continued. “Esports is expected to generate nearly $1.6 billion in global revenue in 2023, double the $776 million generated in 2018 – with East Asia contributing a third of that revenue at,” said Mr. Guillaume Sachet, Partner, Advisory at KPMG Singapore, referring to an industry report published by the firm in 2021.
The economic opportunities in the industry have certainly not gone unnoticed. Responding to TODAY’s inquiries, Ms Ong Ling Lee, Executive Director of Sports and Wellness at the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), “With Singapore’s growing reputation as an e-sports destination, we continue to attract gaming companies with regional ambitions to Singapore.”
She added, “Broadcasting or streaming e-sports events also offers branding opportunities for Singapore, which may become the top travel destination for e-sports fans worldwide.”
According to figures released by database company Statista in March 2021, the global esports audience has grown from 397.8 million in 2019 to 435.9 million in 2020. It is expected to continue growing to 577.3 million by 2024.
Local esports talent, companies and associations surveyed by TODAY were quick to point out several factors that make Singapore attractive to tournament organizers, such as the island’s excellent technology and business infrastructure.
Capitalizing on these strengths, they said, would help the growth of Singapore’s esports industry while boosting the tourism sector, which is making up ground lost after two barren years.
Nonetheless, Singapore still has a lot of work to do to establish itself as a major player in the global esports industry beyond hosting international tournaments, they added. This includes building up the domestic talent pool in e-sports and making it more attractive as a career option.