YCP Solidiance, an Asia-focused strategy consulting firm headquartered in Hong Kong, has published a white paper titled “The Next Level: The Rise of Esports in the Philippines”.
The paper emphasises the country’s potential for exponential esports growth, noting the massive number of active players and their history of enthusiasm towards video games since the early 2000s. The Philippine eSports industry currently has over 43 million active gamers, a number growing steadily by 12.9% yearly since 2017.
The paper explores the current landscape of Philippine esports and the history of global esports growth, highlighting the different factors and measures to replicate esports’ success in the local realm.
Key Takeaways to Grow the Philippine Esports Industry
Opening up investment opportunities in the local esports sector requires a delicate balancing act between three key success drivers:
A healthy competitive environment: Competition is the foundation of esports, and necessitates constant stimulation for the gaming community through a structured tournament system.
Production Value: The delivery of an esports event acts as an introduction for the viewers; it helps them digest it better and appreciate the contest. Leagues need to have compelling stories in high-quality “packaging” to be able to hook audiences.
Accessibility: The industry needs to prioritise making esports more culturally acceptable for Filipinos in order for the sector to succeed as a mainstream sport.

By Niji Narayan

Niji Narayan has been in the writing industry for well over a decade or so. He prides himself as one of the few survivors left in the world who have actually mastered the impossible art of copy editing. Niji graduated in Physics and obtained his Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism. He has always interested in sports writing and travel writing. He has written for numerous websites and his in-depth analytical articles top sports magazines like Cricket Today and Sports Today. He reports gaming industry headlines from all around the globe.