Razer begins the countdown to the 2019 Southeast Asian Games

Razer begins the countdown to the 2019 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 2019), an eleven-country international sporting event sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee, and the first to include esports as a medaled competitive discipline.

One week from now, athletes from participating countries will gather at the inaugural SEA Games Esports Opening Ceremony in the Philippines to celebrate history in the making with esports being recognized as a medal sport for the first time. Athletes will battle it out to earn the first SEA Games esport medals in the following titles: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Arena of Valor, Dota 2, Starcraft II, Tekken 7 and Hearthstone.

Well-being of Esports Athletes – Assurance from PhilSGOC

Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee (PhilSGOC) and Razer are also in close communication about the safety and comfort of the esports athletes. A discussion was held to address the negativity in the press regarding the treatment of SEA Games athletes and organization of competition venues, where the lodging, diet and overall standard of living of all athletes were questioned. PhilSGOC assured Razer that the esports athletes will be cared for. In addition, competition venue (Filoil Flying V Centre) will be well equipped and conducive for the esports competitions.

“We received assurance from PhilSGOC that the well-being of the athletes remains their top priority. Our esports athletes will be given an optimal environment to perform at their best capacity,” said Tan. “The athletes are breaking new grounds here, they aren’t just fighting for national pride, they are fighting to legitimize the sport. Their presence at the SEA Games will encourage new esports talent to break the mold and make a difference in something that they are truly passionate about.”

The Journey to Legitimizing Esports

For over a decade, Razer has been on a mission to promote esports globally and was one of the first brands to invest in, endorse and sponsor esports teams and tournaments. To support esports athletes worldwide, Razer created Team Razer – an elite group of gamers who compete professionally in esports tournaments worldwide. Members of Team Razer include Evil Geniuses, mousesports, Team Alliance, and others.

As the official esports partner of SEA Games 2019, Razer launched a year-long campaign to galvanize support from the region. A Razer delegation led by CEO Min-Liang Tan met with PhilSGOC and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) on multiple occasions in 2018, steadily working towards the inclusion of esports in SEA Games 2019 – one that will finally see fruition this December.

Well-prepared and perfectly equipped

Razer will arm all competing athletes with high-performing esports peripherals. The recently-launched Razer Viper, a lightweight gaming mouse with optical switches developed in close collaboration with esports professionals, will be the official gaming mouse for SEA Games 2019. To ensure all participating athletes are well-prepared and ready to perform at their very best, Razer also has organized a series of professional training bootcamps leading up to the event.