ONE Esports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship™ (ONE), the largest global sports media property in Asian history, recently held its Media Day ahead of the ONE Esports Dota 2 Singapore World Pro Invitational this weekend at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
At Media Day, ONE Esports officially announced the ONE Esports Singapore Major, scheduled for 20-28 June, 2020. The Dota 2 competition, organized with PGL Esports, will take place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. A total of US$1,000,000 and 15,000 Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) points will be up for grabs for participating Dota 2 pro teams. More information on the event can be found at https://oneesports.gg/one-esports-singapore-major/.
Media Day saw select media members and esports fans receive the opportunity to meet with ONE Esports’ top executives and hear news about the direction of the company moving forward.
In attendance were ONE Esports CEO Carlos Alimurung, PGL Esports CEO Silviu Stroie, Director of Content Business Design Center at Dentsu Shuntaro Tanaka, and Executive Director, Attractions, Entertainment and Tourism Concept Development of the Singapore Tourism Board Jean Ng.
The ONE Esports Dota 2 Singapore World Pro Invitational is ONE Esports’ inaugural event to be held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium from 20-22 December. The three-day competition features some of the best players, teams, on-air talent, and cosplayers in Dota 2. Teams will compete for a share of the US$500,000 prize pool and the honor of being the first ONE Esports Dota 2 Invitational champion.
Four of the 12 teams in the competition have previously won Dota 2’s most prestigious event, The International (TI), and nine teams have competed at a previous TI. In addition, 11 of the on-air talent have cast or performed observer roles at TI, and four cosplay performers have won awards at a TI or a Major.
Organized with PGL, the ONE Esports Dota 2 Singapore World Pro Invitational is the first event in the ONE Esports Dota 2 Invitational Series. World-class brands JBL, TUMI, DBS Bank, Lazada, Secretlab, Harvey Norman, and Red Bull are sponsors of the competition. Distribution partners Huya, Huomao, Maincast, eGG, and Twitch will stream and broadcast the competition.
Ticket information for the ONE Esports Dota 2 Singapore World Pro Invitational is available at http://oneesports.gg/buydota2tickets. More information on the event can be found at https://oneesports.gg/one-esports-dota-2-singapore-world-pro-invitational/.
Carlos Alimurung, CEO of ONE Esports, stated: “Executing the ONE Esports Dota 2 Invitational series in Singapore and Jakarta and the ONE Esports Dota 2 Singapore Major is a herculean effort. I would like to thank JBL, TUMI, DBS Bank, Lazada, Secretlab, Harvey Norman, and Red Bull for not only believing in our mission, but also sponsoring it. I would also like to thank Huya, Huomao, Maincast, eGG, and Twitch for delivering our message to the world. We also appreciate the support of the Singapore Tourism Board, who has been instrumental in establishing Singapore as the home base for ONE Esports. Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank the esports community. Ultimately, we do this for them, because it is their passion, energy, and devotion to this sport that drives us. They deserve the best, and we shall deliver it.”
Silviu Stroie, CEO of PGL, stated: “After running the Dota 2 Majors in the Philippines and in Malaysia, it is now time to hold it in Singapore. By partnering with one of the best companies I’ve ever met in Asia, ONE Esports, PGL will aim to deliver again a great Major in Southeast Asia in June. Being the last event of the DPC season, we expect great storylines and matches that will decide the teams attending The International 10 in Stockholm, Sweden.”
Shuntaro Tanaka, Director, Content Business Design Center, Dentsu, stated: “Dentsu recognized that esports was going to be a huge phenomenon. When it came to deepening our commitment to the esports movement, ONE Esports was the obvious choice because of its heritage in deep storytelling on oneesports.gg and its proven capabilities in executing world-class experiences, such as the upcoming ONE Esports Singapore Major.”
Jean Ng, Executive Director, Attractions, Entertainment and Tourism Concept Development, Singapore Tourism Board, stated: “Leading esports events are increasingly becoming a motivation for travel, and we look forward to welcoming all Dota 2 players and fans to Singapore, starting with the World Pro Invitational this December. The Majors are key milestones in the global esports tournament calendar, and we are pleased to host the Singapore Major next June. This will not only profile Singapore as a destination of choice, but augment our ambition to develop Singapore as a premier tourism and esports hub.”
Grace Koh, Vice President and General Manager, Lifestyle Audio Division of Asia Pacific, JBL, stated: “It is a great honor to be partnering with ONE Esports for the upcoming Dota 2 World Pro Invitational in Singapore and Jakarta, and the Dota 2 Major in Singapore in 2020. Being the Official Audio Partner, we are thrilled to bring the JBL immersive sound experience with our extensive award-winning audio products and let everyone make the most of every moment in their games and life!”
Adam Hershman, General Manager, TUMI Greater China, APAC Distribution and Travel Retail stated: “We are very excited to be entering into a partnership with ONE Esports. It is an incredible time for esports and this is a truly unique and innovative partnership that opens up new possibilities for both brands. Esports players are always on the move and need worry-free travel solutions so that they can focus on what matters the most — world-class performance. At TUMI, we provide this freedom from concern by designing products that are reliable, adaptable and suited to your needs. We are looking forward to working with this new generation of athletes and the fans to perfect their journeys — while having a bit of fun along the way.”
Anthony Seow, Head of Payments & Platforms, DBS Bank, stated: “DBS is delighted to partner with ONE Esports as the official banking partner of ONE Esports Dota 2 World Pro Invitational series. As esports becomes more popular in Singapore and across the region, our cardholders who are avid gamers can look forward to enjoying exclusively curated deals and privileges with the DBS Live Fresh Card, as they cheer on their favorite athletes.”
Michelle Yip, Chief Marketing Officer of Lazada Singapore, stated: “As the leading eCommerce and Shoppertainment platform in the region, Lazada sees vast potential in developing the local esports and gaming scene and supporting various initiatives to foster a robust community for gamers and shoppers alike. We are pleased to partner with ONE Esports on this exciting project to bring the top global esports talent to Singapore for the inaugural ONE Esports Dota 2 Singapore World Pro Invitational. Local gaming fans can look forward to the event being livestreamed on the Lazada app. We will also be giving back to the gaming community by offering money-can’t-buy experiences such as backstage tours to meet some of the top participating global teams.”
Ian Alexander Ang, CEO and Co-founder of Secretlab, stated: “ONE, today, is the largest global sports media property in Asian history and is revered for their large-scale sporting events, production and content — as well as bringing up sporting heroes. With esports booming today, we want to support their efforts to orchestrate the growth of esports and gaming in Asia to millions of fans worldwide. Just like for their sporting athletes, ONE only wants to provide the best environment for their esports athletes to perform at their best, which requires them to use the best equipment possible.”
In addition to this announcement, ONE Esports announced the ONE Esports Dota 2 Jakarta Invitational Open Qualifiers where teams from all across Southeast Asia get the chance to represent their respective countries and compete against the world’s best Dota 2 teams.
The ONE Esports Dota 2 Jakarta Invitational takes place on 17-19 April, 2020 at the Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE BSD). More information can be found at: https://oneesports.gg/one-esports-dota-2-jakarta-invitational/.
