Filipino e-sport organisation Mineski is investing US$2 million in Indonesia to elevate the country’s e-sport ecosystem while strengthening its position in Indonesia, a Fox Sports report said.
Mineski will be using its three main businesses, namely Mineski Infinity cyber cafe franchise, the e-sport tournament organising body Mineski Events Team (MET), and the Mineski Professional esports teams for Dota 2, League of Legends, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, to fulfil its goal of elevating the local ecosystem. And the fresh investment will come through MET Indonesia.
“We are planning to invest aggressively for the next following years to encourage the growth spurt of the nation’s esports industry so that we could catch up with other leading countries,” said Mineski Indonesia’s Country Manager Agustian Hwang in a statement.
Mineski was established in the Philippines and has over the years grown to become the biggest esports organization in Southeast Asia. The company’s seriousness in supporting the development of e-sport in Indonesia can be seen from a series of big competitions held by MET Indonesia this year, including the Grand Final of PINC 2018 and various leagues owned by Telkomsel, Tokopedia Garuda Cup 2018.
Next year, MET Indonesia is bringing more exciting competitions, such as Garuda Cup, Indonesia Professional Gaming League (IPGL), and Jakarta Masters. The Jakarta Masters itself will be included in a series of The Masters competitions adopted from the Manila Masters in its home country.
As part of Mineski’s commitment to the country, it is also working with internet services provider Telkomsel, e-commerce Tokopedia, and ride-hailing giant Go-Jek. Auliya Ilman Fadli, Telkomsel’s General Manager for Games and Apps said that mobile gaming sector gives high revenue for Telkomsel, reaching 34% with up to 60 million customers playing games on their cell phones every month.
“Currently, Telkomsel’s market share in the Indonesian gaming industry reaches more than 22%. We are very pleased to build a partnership with Mineski in Indonesia whose vision is in line with Telkomsel’s to support and advance the gaming industry in the country,” said Fadli in a statement.
E-sport in Indonesia
Mineski’s initiative to invest in Indonesia seems to be a smart move given that e-sport has been growing significantly in the country over the past few years. According to Newzoo’s October 2018 ranking, Indonesia is ranked 17th in world’s top 100 biggest gaming market, showing its strong position in e-sport global map. In Southeast Asia, Indonesia is leading the industry, ahead of Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam, driven by increased smartphone adoption, better internet infrastructure, and competitive and immersive mobile games.
The research estimated that there are more than 47.7 million active gamers in Indonesia which generate over US$1 billion in revenue.
The big number of major tournaments also contributes to the increasing popularity and interest of e-sport in Asia and particularly Indonesia. E-sport participation in the Jakarta Palembang 2018 Asian Games showcased the possibility of competitive games intermingling with traditional sports in large-scale competition. There were six games competed in the 2018 Asian Games, namely League of Legends (LoL), Heartstones, Pro Evolution Soccer (PES 2018), Starcraft II, Clash Royale, and Arena of Valor (AoV). Although not included in the medal count, the new sports branch had successfully caught the public’s attention. Moreover, e-sport will now be fully included as a medal sport in the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games that will be held in the Philippines.
In Indonesia, e-sport was run by the athletes and clubs with additional support from Indonesia e-Sports Association (IeSPA), a government institution under the Ministry of Youth and Sports. As part of its commitment to accelerating e-sport performance in Indonesia, the association will build the first e-sport academy and improve infrastructure so that e-sport could be accepted in all corners of the country.
Editor: Ben Jiang
