Mobile telecommunications giant Smart has signed a partnership with online gaming developer Dark League Studios (DLS) as part of efforts to develop e-gaming in the Philippines and hopefully discover more Filipino e-games athletes.
Al Panlilio, PLDT and Smart Communications president and CEO, said the partnership is “probably one of the biggest projects of Smart” considering its impact on the burgeoning e-games industry in the country, as well as the development of e-games as a truly global sporting event.
“Our partnership with DLS is in line with our commitment to provide the best gaming experience to Filipinos. We at Smart have always believed in the ability of Filipinos to dominate sports of all kinds — including e-sports. Through our collaboration with DLS, we hope to empower more aspiring e-sports athletes to level up their gameplay and compete in a much bigger arena,” Panlilio, during the official announcement of the Smart-DLS partnership, said.
Smart said it is also committed to work with e-sports organizations in the Philippines, including the Philippine Esports Organization (PeSo).
For DSL, the partnership with Smart means it will be able to conduct its programs for e-sports.
“We share Smart’s vision for Philippine esports and we are excited to leverage our expertise and experience in engaging the gaming community and inspiring Filipino gamers to fulfill their dreams,” Alfrancis Chua, cofounder and chief marketing officer of Dark League Studios, said.
Chua, a popular sports personality particularly in the country’s professional basketball league, also said it will now be easier for DSL to introduce programs with Smart’s backing.
Smart and DLS vowed to work and collaborate with PeSo to “adopt industry best practices and maintain the highest standards of integrity.
“We are glad to see the support of Smart to elevate the industry and align our initiatives in favor of the sport. This will help generate more opportunities for aspiring Filipino gamers to showcase and develop their skills as they aspire to become the next generation of Team SiBOL athletes,” Marlon Marcelo, executive director of PeSo said.
Team SIBOL, according to Marcelo, is the country’s “national team” when it comes to esports.
Marcelo said he hopes that Team SIBOL will be able to attract Filipino athletes to compete in the world stage, similar to Team Gilas, when it comes to world basketball.
Smart, meanwhile, reported that its Smart GIGA Arena, an all-in-one esports platform, continues to offer tournament experience to amateur players.
The partnership with DLS, Smart said, will further grow Smart GIGA Arena in terms of the number of tournaments, onboarding game developers, and consumer-centric activities.
