PUBG Mobile will be included in the Asian Games eSports program for the first time

PUBG Mobile will be one of the eight games in the official eSports program for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. This will be the first time that the game would be included as one of its events—and Malaysia might have a chance to win it.

If you need a run-down of what the Asian Games is, it’s a multi-sport event that’s held every four years—just like the Olympics. It’s also recognised by the International Olympic Committee as the second-largest event after the Olympics, and the next one will run from 10 September to 25 September 2022.

Malaysians have competed in every edition since the 1954 games, winning 63 golds, 101 silvers, and 148 bronze medals. eSports was only introduced to the Asian Games as a demonstration sport in 2018, but it is now part of the official program as a medal event. 

“It’s an honour for PUBG Mobile to be included in the 2022 Asian Games. We’re incredibly lucky to have a number of extremely talented players from several countries including Malaysia, and can’t wait to see them compete as part of such a prestigious event. Fans of the game can look forward to the exciting competition between the region’s best PUBG Mobile players as they’re celebrated alongside the best athletes in Asia,” said James Yang, Director of Global Esports at Tencent Games.

PUBG Mobile, as well as other eSports games, is popular in Malaysia as demonstrated by the success of the ongoing PUBG Mobile Pro League (PMPL MY/SG) now in its fourth season. With a huge demand for Malaysia-based competitive eSports, I won’t be surprised to see an official team representing Malaysia for the upcoming Asian Games.

Other eSports events that will be debuting as an official medal event for the Asian Games include Arena of Valor, Dota 2, League of Legends, Dream Three Kingdoms 2, HearthStone, and Street Fighter V. Each title will have a gold, silver, and bronze medal which means that 24 medals can be won in eSports at Hangzhou, China in 2022.

In October, a Malaysian eSports player was part of a team winning over RM21 million after winning second place in The International 10 Defense of the Ancients (Dota 2) tournament. The Youth and Sports Ministry was also apparently “instrumental” in helping Malaysians obtain permission to travel to Romania to participate in the tournament. eSports has received allocations four years in a row—RM20 million under Budget 2022, RM15 million under Budget 2021, RM20 million in Budget 2020, and RM10 million in Budget 2019.

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