What a glorious year for Malaysia! First of all, a massive shout out for MVP Karnal (CS: GO) and Amirul Afandi (FIFA 16) for their stunning feats and the champions for this region (Possibly, internationally!). With their awesome and outstanding dedication toward their passion, they truly deserved their honorable titles.
2016 could be the most meaningful year for the ASEAN e-gaming scene, especially for Malaysian gamers who have demonstrated such outstanding performances in the Southeast Asia’s First Official Tournament, Ages 2016. We were thrilled with the great success of this event in gathering iconic professional teams and players from the best Asian e-gaming countries in one place and created some unforgettable memories.
Looking back at AGES 2016, this remarkable and monumental event has just made a huge step for the local eSports industry in developing better gaming-related conventions for the future. Clearly, judging by the amazing moments that had happened in this event, it has left a positive outlook for future conventions. Hell yes, we’re talking about Asia’s regional eSports.
What is AGES 2016?
I know that some of you are still in the state of blurriness (at least, partially). So, let’s cover the basics. AGES 2016 is also known as South-East Asia’s First Official Tournament that has the phenomenal task of converging highly-skilled e-gamers around the region. It creates a beautiful unity among all fans from different Asian countries. There are also a good number of amusing outdoor exhibitions that are set out for the e-gaming enthusiasts to wind down and chow down on good food.
The main draw for the event is the record breaking RM 1,000,000 prize pool, making it the highest prize pool ever registered at any eSports competition in this region. It is a statement of intent of how passionate they are in adapting eSports for this growing domain.
Champions are not born; They are made
The ultimate competitive e-games at the event were Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO) and FIFA 16. Oh, and guess what? Here are your new e-gaming kings:
DOTA 2 ( Signature Trust )
The team hailing from Thailand won the Dota 2 tournament by defeating the Malaysian team, Orange.Taring (it was so close guys!). They also brought home RM 176, 300. I wonder how much it will be after converting it to Thai Baht. Congratulation Signature Trust!
CS: GO ( MVP Karnal )
A professional gaming team consisting of players from Malaysia has just proven their worth. The winners of CS: GO were MVP Karnal and certainly made Malaysians proud. Hence, RM 133, 300 was their main reward! Congratulation MVP Karnal! (PS: their matches were thrilling and superbly entertaining to watch)
FIFA 16 ( Infinite_AmTuah )
Finally, the moment we’ve been waiting for. Introducing, Malaysia’s best FIFA player, also known as the king of FIFA 16 in Asia and listed as no.4 in the World Ranking of FIFA 2016, Amirul Afandi. Going by his in-game name, amTuah, he gave his utmost best to fight his way to the top in Fifa 16, receiving RM 34, 400 as a Grand Final Winner in AGES 2016. Congratulation Amirul Afandi!
Witnessing AGES 2016
While attending the wonderful event, a joyous vibe was evident throughout AGES 2016. We felt the excitement from everyone that was there. Some even showed up way earlier than the rest. This just shows how excited they were for AGES 2016 (same goes for me!).
Before the event
We happened to arrive earlier as well. It was worth it. Why? You get to see your idols without the masses surrounding them. Even better, you could interact with them! Just imagine every single person there is in a lobby. And you’re the spectator. Wouldn’t that make it a real life in-game lobby? *Mindblown*
During the event
Enough observing! Time for the real thing. Don’t even bother asking how frustrating it was to wait because it wasn’t at all! AGES 2016 was a highly anticipated e-gaming convention, and the fans and the general atmosphere certainly lived up to the hype.
See that? That’s like a gateway to paradise. It was a coincidence that another event, MITG, which was essentially an IT exhibition, was held on the same day as AGES 2016. This is a wonderful combination if you ask me, gamers get to visit both events in a day. However, you should see what’s truly inside. This is just the beginning (Chill out!).
Inside the event
Advancing toward the entrance, here’s what we saw
The Booths
With various communities coming from different regions, they were extremely friendly and talkative. Ask anything you want and they’ll gladly answer your questions. The healthy interactions among gamers and AGES crew itself were great to see. Unlike most gaming conventions, the outdoor carnival actually offered some fancy merchandise to be bought. It was virtually impossible to overlook. Also, other alluring activities, enjoy these shots!
Cosplayers
Of course, no convention is complete without the cosplayers! The cosplayers were awesome. Their cosplay was truly captivating and fascinating. Most of them were Dota 2 and LoL characters, no surprise there! The eGG booth had an extraordinary idea where they offer you this great opportunity to have a photo session with the awesome cosplayers. The blasting part was you will be featured in their official live gallery.
Dota 2 Item Showcase
Never have I ever seen such insanely eye-satisfying Dota 2 display in my life until I saw these. In spite of the fact that these masterpiece were obiviously not for sale, at least it didn’t charge you for looking nor staring at it.
Inside the arena
This was where players and fans converged like a family. The arena was full of motivational cheers and energizing celebrations. We could feel the exhilarating vibe from all sides. The matches were truly breathtaking, almost as if you were in the game. It’s always wonderful to witness a bunch of professional players going up against each other, showing pure skills and pulling off incredible performances.
An Enlightened Closure
AGES 2016 has truly redefined success for all e-gamers around South-East Asia region. Such events have made our dream into reality. Hopefully, this will encourage more improvements and inspire more companies to hold gaming-related conventions. We are confident that AGES 2016 has left an unforgettable mark on all gamers that are still doubtful of their potential. Our message is, never stop believing. Keep going and you may just live up your dream! AGES 2016 has also drawn the positive attention of the government. This is indeed a significant sign for major eSports development.
Image credit: AGES Official.