Yearender: 'Taon Ng Tagumpay' cements Philippine esports legacy

MANILA, Philippines – Achievements defined esports in 2023 as both the Philippines’ esports team, Sibol, and local professional esports teams secured numerous esports accolades throughout the year.

But even with the wins, esports and gaming had a rollercoaster year with the return of onsite activities that left most people disappointed, the resurgence of fan favorite titles, and the spotlight on game developers and marginalized players. Here's a look at what happened in esports and gaming for 2023.

With all events finally getting a greenlight to be fully onsite, many Filipinos were disappointed with many esports and gaming events in the country.

From esports tournaments seeing production issues for both onsite and online spectators, to overselling of tickets and not thoroughly planned venue layouts, Filipino fans were severely disappointed with many events this year.

One such event that made headlines was CONQuest 2023, which became “Pilacon” (line convention) as dubbed by many Filipinos online. The three-day gaming and pop culture festival boasted a star-studded lineup with famous voice actors, streamers and musicians all making their way to Manila. But the weekend of celebration turned into a nightmare for con-goers, with most ticket holders not even reaching the entrance of the SMX Convention Center as the lines snaked throughout the streets surrounding the area.

Another event that Filipinos were excited about was the 10th edition of the Electronic Sports and Gaming Summit (ESGS), which saw the resurgence of League of Legends in the Philippines. Though the Empyrean Cup was met with favorable response, the event itself was criticized by many for its venue and layout choice, particularly by artists online. The artist alley, as many independent artists pointed out, seemed to have been ignored by the organizers and was not marketed properly while the choice of the World Trade Center as the venue versus SMX Convention Center also drew criticism as it was not as commuter-friendly. The latter, with a lack of restaurants nearby, forced everyone to clump together in the food stalls inside the venue.

Despite the disappointing outings of anticipated events, other