Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s premier connectivity provider, has launched Axiata Game Hero, the largest eSports tournament in Sri Lanka, which will see players from across South and Southeast Asia, vie for the top spot and a chance to win a share of LKR 25,000,000 in prize money battling each other in Free Fire – Battlegrounds.
Axiata Game Hero is the first mobile gaming tournament of its kind in the region and represents Axiata’s operating companies from six countries across Asia, namely: Dialog Axiata (Sri Lanka), Celcom Axiata (Malaysia), Smart Axiata (Cambodia), XL Axiata (Indonesia), Robi Axiata (Bangladesh) and Ncell Axiata (Nepal).
For this inaugural tournament, players will compete in Free Fire – Battlegrounds – a mobile battle royale game developed by Garena and licensed by Axiata’s partner, Techninier Sdn Bhd, a technology company. Set on a remote island, the game pits 50 players against each other in 10-minute sessions to determine the winner: the last person standing at the end of the game.
Players can participate in qualifying series as a solo player and battle in solo online tournament to be qualified for squad tournaments. The top three squads from each participating country will be flown to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for the Axiata Game Hero finals in December, where they will battle it out for the grand prize.
For Sri Lankan gamers, this will be the largest eSports event so far with huge cash prizes and international exposure. It is a turning point in the country for eSports after it being recognized as a National Sport.
This initiative will also help to further facilitate social distancing efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing home entertainment specially for the youth segment as a way to spend time while staying at home.
Head of Product Innovation & Partnership at Axiata PLC added that “We envision Axiata Game Hero as a platform that connects people from different countries together no matter the language, culture, or distance through their shared love for mobile gaming. We have received great support from all of our operating companies, and we hope to bring this mobile gaming tournament to an even wider audience in the future.”
The eSports industry has seen tremendous growth over the years both in terms of viewership and revenue. According to Newzoo Global Esports Market Report 2019, the global eSports audience will grow to 453.8 million worldwide in 2019, a year-on-year growth of +15.0%. In fact, revenues will reach an impressive $1.1 billion in 2019, a year-on-year growth of +26.7%.
The Axiata Game Hero tournament is open to all Dialog subscribers with a minimal daily fee of LKR10. Interested participants may download Free Fire from either Google Play or Apple AppStore and will need to maintain an active subscription throughout the entire duration of the tournament (four months) to be eligible.
