Now, there's one more way for aspiring Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and PUBG Mobile to make their mark in the national esports scene, and that way is the Malaysia Esports Championship (MEC 2020).

MEC 2020 is a brand new national competition by Esports Integrated (ESI), a government-supported local initiative under the purview of the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS), alongside Geek Fam and Alhamra Games. The Malaysian tournament will feature four popular esports titles, which include Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, PUBG Mobile, Dota 2 and FIFA 21 for mobile, PC and console, respectively.

On top of its RM100,000 prize pool, to make the deal a lot more enticing for MLBB and PUBG Mobile players, the champions of the mobile titles will also advance to the top 8 Qualifiers of the MLBB Professional League Malaysia/Singapore (MPL MY/SG) Season 7 and the Qualifiers for next season's PUBG Mobile Malaysia National Championship (PMNC 2021), respectively.

Here's a detailed breakdown of the prizes:

If you're a gamer for none of the above, not to worry - more esports titles are expected to be included in future championships by ESI to sustain the series and nurture talents further.

MEC 2020 was first introduced during the launch of ESI two months back. It's one of several key pillars to push the National Esports Roadmap forward and foster an inclusive inclusive environment for local gamers via ESI's ceaseless partnership with the local government.

“I would like to humbly say this to the experienced players, teams, organisers, publishers: as the new kids on the block, we would like to be of assistance to you and complement the work that you do; we want to support you in every way that we can,” said Ahmed Faris Amir, CEO of ESI and Impact Integrated, during the officiation of ESI.

Registrations for MEC 2020 are currently open. For more information on registration and tournament schedules, visit https://www.esukan.gg/happening.

For more information on ESI’s National Esports Roadmap plans, check out their website or Facebook page.

MEC 2020 is brought to life by ESI, in partnership with eGG Network, the Malaysia Electronic Sport Federation (MESF), Techninier, VC Media & Consultancy (VCMC) and Geek Fam.

There’s little doubt that esports has been constantly growing in recent years, especially when it concerns Malaysia. Aware of this ever-growing phenomenon, the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS), in partnership with a strategic catalyst agency for youth and sports, Impact Integrated, set out to create Esports Integrated (ESI), “an initiative to catalyse a vibrant, sustainable, and inclusive esports ecosystem in Malaysia”.

“KBS has not had a centralised initiative to address all the problems that have been plaguing the esports industry,” revealed Ahmed Faris Amir, CEO of Impact Integrated, the reason behind ESI’s formation. “Which is why we created ESI - to integrate all existing efforts in the country to further improve the ecosystem.”

ESI is part of the government’s efforts to push the National Esports Roadmap forward, in hopes of accelerating the growth of Malaysian esports. The roadmap and core focuses of ESI were announced at its launch event yesterday, with Phase One’s plan consisting of:

1. Creating a platform to centralise the Malaysian esports ecosystem, including an online tournament feature;
2. Forming the Malaysia Esports Circuit, comprising the Malaysia Esports Championship and the Malaysia Esports League, and points earned from these tournaments will be calculated in said platform;
3. Launching the Esports Conference series, a networking and discourse platform for esports, later this year;
4. Advocating for a better regulatory framework and clearer guidelines in the esports sphere.

Aside from the above, a Capacity Building programme - which aims to raise the professional standards of Malaysia’s esports by tutoring organisers, team managers and coaches - is slated to begin next year. KBS’s official Esports Hub is also currently being constructed in Spacerubix, Puchong, to serve as a training ground for both professional and amateur e-athletes, as well as an event/tournament venue and a networking area for the athletes, coaches and industry players.

One of the challenges that ESI hopes to tackle is fragmented tournaments across the nation. “We have so many esports tournaments here, but they’re not centralised, which is why we’re introducing the Malaysia Esports Circuit,” Ahmed explained, adding that the online tournament feature will assist in bringing about a central platform that’s easily accessible by everyone. This is one of several issues that ESI are dead set on solving, and it’s a journey that they’re in for the long haul.

“I would like to humbly say this to the experienced players, teams, organisers, publishers: as the new kids on the block, we would like to be of assistance to you and complement the work that you do; we want to support you in every way that we can,” Ahmed expressed.

The ESI launch event yesterday saw the Minister of Youth and Sports, Yang Berhormat Dato’ Sri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, officiating the event. In attendance was also Datuk M Noor Azman Bin Taib, Secretary General of KBS, and of course, Ahmed Faris himself.

ESI’s partners include the Malaysia Electronic Sport Federation (MESF), eGG Network (what an honour!), Techninier, VC Media & Consultancy (VCMC) and Geek Fam.

Be sure to follow ESI on Facebook, and check out their official website for more information.