Esports at the 2019 SEA Games: What You Need to Know

Esports at the 2019 SEA Games kicks off today, December 5. A five day long competition spanning six different titles, this will mark esports’ debut in the prestigious biennial competition between South East Asia’s different countries. With medals up for grabs and country pride at stake, fans, players and industry professionals alike have much reason to be hyped about the event.

Here’s what you need to know.

What’s The SEA Games?

The Southeast Asian Games, or SEA Games for short, is a sporting competition between 11 countries that make up Southeast Asia. The event takes place every two years with a rotating host, which in this case is the Philippines this year. It is essentially the regional equivalent of the Olympics, and follows much of the same principles (medals for top placers, long-form format) with local sports being added into the mix.

What’s In It 

The 2019 SEA Games will be hosting tournaments for six games across PC, Consoles and Mobile. Each one will award gold, silver and bronze medals for the top 3; as such, the results count towards the official medal tally.  Included this year are:

• Dota 2 (PC) – MOBA
• StarCraft II (PC) – MOBA
• Hearthstone (PC/Mobile) – Digital Card Game
• Tekken 7 (Console) – Fighting Game
• Arena of Valor (PC) – Multiplayer Online Battle Arena
• Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (Mobile) – Multiplayer Online Battle Arena

When and Where Is It Happening?

All the action will take place from December 5 – 10 at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan, Metro Manila. Each game will begin with a two group round robin stage, followed by bracket playoffs. None of them, bar Tekken 7, will be run in a single day and will instaed be segmented throughout the event. Check out our infographic below for the full breakdown.

Who Is Playing?

While there are 11 countries represented in the overall SEA Games, only nine have declared delegates for esports. These are:

• Philippines
• Malaysia
• Indonesia
• Singapore
• Thailand
• Vietnam
• Laos
• Myanmar
• Cambodia

The Philippines itself has fielded a roster called Team Sibol, which is comprised of some of the best talents in the country. Notable names include the entirety of the Team Adroit roster for Dota 2, who represented the region at the MDL Chengdu Major earlier this year. Check out the infographic below for a full breakdown of our national lineup.

How Can I Watch? 

All viewing methods for esports at the 2019 SEA Games are free.

Want to watch in person? General admission to the event is free, but on a first come first serve basis. The San Juan Arena has been set-up similar to most esports tournaments, with free but limited seating. Be sure to come in early if you want a good viewing experience, but do note that there will be no on-site commentary audio.

Want to watch it online? A variety of streaming options are available, including GGNetwork on Facebook, 5Plus on Facebook and TV and Razer on Twitch. All commentary will reportedly be in English.

What Will the Groups Look Like?

Groups for each game were constructed evenly and randomly, while also making sure that delegates from the same country would not face each other. Groupings are as follows:

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (Mobile)

Group A

• Myanmar
• Vietnam
• Singapore
• Malaysia
• Cambodia

Group B

• Philippines
• Indonesia
• Laos
• Thailand

Dota 2

Group A

• Vietnam
• Singapore
• Malaysia
• Thailand

Group B

• Laos
• Philippines
• Indonesia
• Myanmar

Hearthstone

Group A

• Kittikairit (TH)
• Akbar (ID)
• Yew (MY)
• Nguyen (VN)
• Dee (PH)
• Roberts (SG)

Group B

• Popan (TH)
• Koentarto (ID)
• Zi Song (MY)
• Le (VN)
• Mangulabnan (PH)
• Chew (SG)

StarCraft II

Group A

• Tran (VN)
• Chanthorn (TH)
• Khun (MY)
• Toh (SG)
• Pramana Lukman (ID)
• Santos (PH)

Group B

• Le (VN)
• Prasertwit (TH)
• Wong (MY)
• Kopankiewicz (SG)
• Enrique (ID)
• Acampado (PH)

Tekken 7

Group A

• Albar (PH)
• Nguyen M. (VN)
• Hempamorn (TH)
• Abdul Shukor (MY)
• Thaiphachan (LA)
• Abd Rahman (SG)

Group B

• Laverez (PH)
• Nguyen T. (VN)
• Tanasoontorngoon (TH)
• Aiman (MY)
• Jusuf (ID)

Arena of Valor

Group A

• Thailand
• Philippines
• Myanmar
• Vietnam

Group B

• Laos
• Malaysia
• Singapore
• Indonesia

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