With esports debuting in the 2019 SEA Games, which titles are set to be played?

MANILA—Esports is part of the calendar of sports to be played at the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games here later this year.

This is a first for the regional competition and will include 6 titles — "Arena of Valor," "DoTA 2," "Hearthstone," "Mobile Legends: Bang Bang," "StarCraft II," and Tekken 7."

Esports will be held at FilOil Flying V Sports Arena in San Juan.

Here are some fast facts about the titles set to be played at the Games to be held from November 30 to December 11.

Arena Of Valor

This is a multiplayer online battle arena (MoBa) game, developed by Tencent Games and is available on mobile. Garena - better known as the distributor of League of Legends, is the game's distributor to Southeast Asia.

The game is played between 2 teams of 5 players, and both teams will be given the time to pick their own heroes and use them to their liking - collecting kills, experience, and buying new weapons in the process.

At the end of games, players can also collect stars (to rank up in ranked games) and skins, which may be used to buff up one's heroes at the end.

DoTA 2

From fuzzy computer screens at internet shops, who would have known that "DotA" would make it this big globally?

"DotA2," is MoBA video game for PC developed by Valve Corp and remains to be one of the biggest titles in esports.

The game is played between 2 teams of 5 players: Dire and Radiant, with the objective of the game is to defend one's own bases on the map while trying to destroy the opponents.

The "DotA" scene around the world remains to be one of the biggest. Valve has hosted "The International," which claims to have the biggest prize pool in all esports competitions in the world, amounting to more than $30 million (around P1.5 billion).

Hearthstone

This is a multiplayer electronic card game inspired by classic PC game "World of Warcraft," both developed by Blizzard.

Players can compete with another player or an AI (artificial intelligence) opponent in a one-on-one card battle, with the goal of maximizing one's deck to inflict damage and kill off the opponent.

Competitively, "Hearthstone" in the Philippines has had its own share of tournaments, with local players placing high in international tilts. Among those top players are Jia “Jia” Dee winning the World Showdown of Esports 2: The Hearthstone Showdown this year.

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang

One of the hottest MoBA apps to date, "Mobile Legends: Bang Bang," adapts almost the same objectives as "DoTA," and "AoV," only with a different set of heroes, and maps to choose from.

One of the notable differences between "Mobile Legends" and AoV, however, is that skins are only acquired in Mobile Legends through in-app purchases or through its "lucky spin" feature.

Another distinct thing is the more diverse player market as smartphones are almost readily available for players, especially in the Philippines

The local "Mobile Legends" scene is immense, with celebrities such as Eric "Eruption" Tai making waves as some of the best players in showbiz.

In a press conference, JJ Lin, the esports manager for Moonton, recognized the significance of the Philippine market in the "Mobile Legends" scene.

• Esports: With regional tilt, Mobile Legends finds value in PH market

Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty

"Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty" is a sequel to a classic PC game is a military science-fiction media franchise created by Blizzard. Players get to pick from 3 playable races — the Zergs, the Protoss, and the Terrans — with the goal of asserting dominance at the end.

The goal of the game is to destroy the opponent's structures while building the players' own in the process. A winner is determined when the opponents' structures are completely destroyed or when the opponent surrenders, when finishing the game is rendered hopeless.

"Starcraft" had its humble beginnings in 1998, with Blizzard remastering it nearly 20 years later, in 2017 upgrading its graphics and sound but retaining the gameplay its fans grew up with over the years.

Tekken 7

From small arcades in malls, this game has found its way to family parties, sleepovers, and eventually in worldwide competitions, expanding ever since it started.

"Tekken" (iron fist in Japanese) focuses its gameplay on hand-to-hand combat, with an array of characters — from Jin to Lily to Heihachi — to choose from. The first to max out the health bar of their opponents twice wins.

Predominantly being played on consoles, the game can be played in computer units as well.

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