MANILA -- The COVID-19 pandemic did not stop the growth of esports in 2020, according to Mineski Global.

In a statement, the esports company said "2020 saw a higher proportion of smartphone users play mobile games, with the global mobile gaming market estimated to have reached US$76 billion in worldwide revenue in 2020, a 12% increase from figures recorded the previous year."

It added that the year also saw "a resurgence in sales of personal computers and peripherals, with lockdowns all over the world leading to a 10.3% increase in PC gaming hardware."

Mineski went on to note that the number of online mobile gamers in Southeast Asia are expected to increase to 250 million by 2021.

"The work that we began in 2019 to revisit our purpose and reorganize our operations around our mission allowed us to take full advantage of the opportunities for growth despite a difficult year. We began with re-aligning our operations across Southeast Asia under one banner, Mineski Global," said Mineski CEO Ronald Robins.

"With that, we upgraded our range of services to offer our partners a more complete end to end solution, from running online tournaments and digital broadcasts to integrated marketing, pro team management, and strategic partnerships with engagement platforms that better reach our growing gaming audience," he added.

In the Philippines, Mineski continued broadcasting esports tournaments professionally from home at the start of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in 2020.

It raised $20,000 for Filipino hospitals and frontliners through a month-long series of "Lockdown Games," which saw professional basketball players who are also esports enthusiasts compete against professional esports athletes and internet personalities.

There were also matches between collegiate teams for charity, with multinational companies and small businesses donating to the cause.

Last year, Mineski also collaborated with developer Gameloft to help brands engage millennial and Gen Z casual players through gamification, or the use of game elements in non-gaming settings.

• Mineski partners with Gameloft to help brands engage with millennials, Gen Z

It also partnered with Ayala Malls Group through a two-hour live show on Facebook for mall-loving gamers, and joined forces with the Philippine Collegiate Champions League for a campus-based esports program.

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