Esports in the Philippines will be rising to a whole new level as The Nationals begins the maiden season in March 2019. The Nationals is the first-ever franchise based Esports league in the country.
Currently, there are six confirmed teams in the first season, these include Bren Esports, Cignal Ultra, Suha, Happy Feet Emperors, STI, and PLDT Smart. These teams will be competing in Dota 2 (PC), Tekken 7 (Console), and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (Mobile) for two conferences each.
“With the start of The Nationals, we are taking a significant step in achieving the maturity and accountability needed for our players to mature and be more competitive. The Nationals can provide stability, exposure, and opportunity for raw talents – of which we have aplenty – so that they can be harnessed to their full potential.”
– The Nationals Commissioner, Ren Vitug
Esports is accredited and recognized by the Games and Amusement Board. Vitug also gave the assurance that all the teams and players will be compliant with GAB’s policies that include licensing and drug testing among others.
League president, Kevin Chung also says now that the infrastructure is being readied for the Esports community, his one big hope is that through The Nationals, they will be able to develop the first national league template that other Southeast Asian cultures can replicate and eventually unite under one banner.
The Nationals kicks off on March 17. You can the games at eGG Channel on Cignal TV and on 5 Plus in ESPN5.
Ram found his love and appreciation for writing in 2015 having started in the gaming and esports sphere for GG Network. He would then transition to focus more on the world of tech which has also began his journey into learning more about this world. That said though, he still has the mentality of "as long as it works" for his personal gadgets.
