All About Esports in Singapore 2024

The Esports industry in Singapore is booming. It contributes a significant amount to the island state’s economy and a large part of the population partake in it. Plus, Singapore has played host to major electronic sports events over the years, including the first-ever Olympic Esports Week in 2023.

In this article, we will try to take a closer look at the Singapore Esports scene and highlight popular games, tournaments, players and more.

Singapore is mobile-first

Like many other Southeast Asian countries, Singapore is mobile-first when it comes to Esports. Mobile sporting games are a lot more popular in Southeast Asian places like Singapore than they are in the West. This is due to the high-speed internet found in Southeast Asian countries as well as the relative affordability of mobile phones over desktops and laptops.

This mobile-first approach is not limited to electronic sports. Singaporeans prefer most of their online games to be mobile-friendly. This is especially true when it comes to Singapore online casino platforms, many of which have mobile-friendly apps and the option to pay by mobile to credit your account. James Fuller reports that the best gambling platforms available in Singapore offer mobile compatibility on phones and tablets for maximum convenience.

Esports is not recognized as a sport by the Singapore government

The Singaporean government has yet to recognize Esports as an official sport. Governments in European countries such as Italy, Denmark, and Finland consider Esports to be on the same level as real sports - but this is not yet the case in Singapore.

However, the island state does have its own national governing body for the activity - the Singapore Esports Association (SGEA). This organization is the official National Sports Association (NSA) for Esports in the country.

Founded in 2018, the SGEA organizes Singapore’s participation in both regional and international events. They also set standards and promote safe online gameplay.

SGEA also contributes to the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) alongside representatives from other sports. This gives Esports a high degree of legitimacy as an official sport in Singapore.

Esports tournament participation

Singaporeans partake in both national and international Esport events.

In terms of national Esport competitions, the most significant event is Campus Legends. This competition, which is organized by the Singapore Cybersports and Online Gaming Association (SCOGA), gives college teams a chance to compete in major games.

Since its launch in 2019, the competition has been pivotal in launching the Esport careers of many prominent players today. Campus Legends 2024 will be the 6th edition of the competition and will run from June to July.

Singapore has also hosted some major online sports events. This has included the Free Fire World Series, which was one of the most-watched Esport events of all time. This event had a prize pool of $2 million and was held at the Marina Bay Sands.

The island state hosted the inaugural Olympic Esports Week between the 22nd and 25th of June 2023. However, this event wasn’t as successful as the Free Fire World Series. Many Esports fans were critical of the choice of games which led to poor viewership.

International competitions that Singapore has participated in include the SEA Icon Series, the FUT Championship Cup, and the Global Esports Games. In 2023, Singapore won its first SEA Games gold medal.

In terms of the number of Esports viewers in Singapore, approx 0.7 million people in the country watch Esports competitions. This number is relatively small compared to other Southeast Asian countries, but it is also a large number if you consider the relatively small size of this island nation. Singapore's current population is just over 6 million.

Also read: Tips for Newcomers to Esports

Esport companies who have offices based in Singapore

The Singaporean government knows how much money Esports pulls in for the country, which is why they actively encourage major gaming brands to open offices on their island.

It does this by offering grants to companies to incentivize companies to branch out to Singapore as well as special grants to help businesses to successfully set themselves up. The government hopes this will eventually turn the country into a hotspot for game development.

One of the most notable companies that has an office in Singapore is Riot Games, the creators of League of Legends. In 2018, this company established Singapore as its Southeast Asia HQ. Not only does this office serve as a base for the Esports team, but it also features a studio where developers can work on games.

In addition to Riot Games, several Singaporean companies maintain offices on the island, including Garena. Garena is responsible for distributing several Esports games, such as FIFA Online 3, to Southeast Asian countries. This company is also notable for organizing Esports tournaments throughout Asia.

Other Esports companies that have offices in Singapore include Sony Interactive Entertainment, Ubisoft, HoYoverse, and Bandai Namco.

Also read: Free Fire in the 2024 Esports World Cup Officially Competed!

Most popular Esports games in Singapore

According to Esports Earnings, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is the game with the highest number of players competing in major competitions. The data provided suggests that 156 players based in Singapore have played the game professionally.

However, Dota 2 is the biggest game in Singapore in terms of prize money earned. A total of $2,699,729 has been earned by Singaporean Dota 2 players, which equates to 36.68% of total Esport earnings for the country.

Other popular Esports games in Singapore include Valorant, Rainbow Six Siege, Brawl Stars, League of Legends, FIFA Online 3, Rocket League, Overwatch, and Pokemon Unite.

Also read: How to be good at playing FF: Auto Booyah and get noticed by esports teams!

Notable Esports players in Singapore

In 2023, the most notable Singaporean Esports player was Wang "Jinggg" Jing Jie. Jinggg plays Valorant professionally for Paper Rex and earned $120,000 in winnings last year.

The second highest-earning Esport player in the country was Muhammad "Kun" Syakir, who plays FIFA for Team Flash. Kun earned $25,000 in 2023.

Other notable Esports players include Daryl "iceiceice" Koh, who was the country’s first Esport millionaire. Iceiceice is a professional Dota 2 gamer who plays for Bleed Esports.

Ho Kun Xian - better known simply as “Xian” - has long been a prominent figure in the Singaporean Esports scene. He came to prominence at the DreamHack Winter 2015 held in Jönköping, Sweden when he was declared winner of Ultra Street Fighter IV.