To improve esports and give aspiring grassroots gamers the opportunity to advance to the professional leagues and become national athletes, PLDT’s cellular subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) and esports event management and production company Dark League Studios (DLS) have partnered .
In addition, Smart and DLS will collaborate to bring more exciting and immersive gaming experiences through Smart GIGA Arena, the first all-in-one e-sports platform in the United States, offering amateur players Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Amateur mobile versions of popular titles like Call of Duty, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, and League of Legends Wild Rift tournament experiences.
Through this partnership, Smart will be able to expand GIGA Arena in terms of number of tournaments, onboarding of game developers and availability of consumer-focused events on the platform.
Since its launch in 2022, Smart GIGA Arena has hosted more than 2 million people for approximately 1,000 games, awarding more than 4.2 million pesos in prize money.
Through this agreement, the Philippine Esports Organization (PeSo), Smart and DLS have agreed to work closely together to follow industry best practices and maintain the highest standards of integrity.
Both Smart and DLS are poised to attract more Filipino players with new tournaments and enhancements on the GIGA Arena platform.
Bringing the best gaming experience to Filipinos
“Our partnership with DLS is in line with our commitment to provide Filipinos with the best possible gaming experience. We at Smart have always believed in the ability of Filipinos to dominate all kinds of sports – including esports. By partnering with DLS, we hope to help more Aspiring esports athletes to up their game and compete on a bigger stage,” said Al S. Panlilio, President and CEO of PLDT Inc and Smart Communications.
“We share Smart’s vision for eSports in the Philippines, and we’re excited to leverage our expertise and experience to engage the gaming community and inspire Filipino gamers to realize their dreams,” said Alfrancis Chua, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Dark League Studios.
“We are delighted to see Smart’s support in raising the bar for the industry and aligning our initiatives to support the sport. This will help create more opportunities for aspiring Filipino players to showcase and develop their skills as they aspire to be the next generation Team SIBOL athletes,” said Marlon Marcelo, Executive Director of the Philippine Esports Organization.
The Fastest and Best Mobile Network in the Philippines
Smart offers Filipino gamers the fastest and best mobile network in the Philippines, as recognized by Ookla, the global leader in mobile and broadband network intelligence.
Smart is the first and only Philippine mobile operator to receive Ookla’s Best Mobile Network Award in Q1-Q2 2022 and Q3-Q4 2022. To achieve this rare and prestigious recognition, Smart was awarded both Fastest Mobile Network and Best Mobile Coverage in the same report period.
As of March 2023, Smart’s 3G, 4G/LTE and 5G networks cover 97% of the country’s population.
To learn more about Smart Esports programs, endeavors and services, follow their official accounts on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, or visit their official website at smart.com.ph.
