With an enormous and still growing player base, e-sports in the Philippines is thriving with the Philippine government recognizing the sector as a potential key contributor to national development, especially in this disruptive age of digital transformation.
Being an advocate of sports development and the values it promotes among the youth, ARC Refreshments Corporation continues its Juicy Legends Tournament, which crowned season underdogs SGD Omega as the winning team for the Pro Division, and Finesse Titans for the Amateur Division.
ARC Refreshments Corp.’s Juicy Lemon brand keeps up with its commitment to rally gamers to fight in the popular Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, which is now solidifying its position as an e-sport acknowledged at the Southeast Asian Games.
ULVL Gaming led by founder Roadfill from the popular comic duo Moymoy Palaboy has again partnered with Juicy Legends for this second round of championship tournament this year which was held at Fisher Mall in Quezon City last October 12.
Team SGD Omega took home a whopping P150,000 cash price while Finesse Titans received a total of P70,000 in winnings, along with Mobile Legends diamonds and Juicy Lemon merchandise.
The “Juicy Legends 2 Tournament” aims to take Filipino e-sports gamers to greater heights by providing them an avenue to hone their skills and to learn from other teams. It also opens up the opportunity for players to form professional gaming teams that can potentially rise in the international scene.
“Filipino e-gamers have tremendous talent and potential, and they have a good chance in making it in the global gaming arena,” expressed by ARC Refreshments Corporation’s Head of Marketing James Loverio. “But one of the challenges we face is exposure. The local e-sports sector has to grow large enough to get on the radar of international e-sports organizations, and this is why we’re hosting these kinds of events.”
Loverio shared that the time is ripe to professionalize e-sports in the country. “The industry is growing by millions in revenue, and in this age of digital transformation and the rise of not just PC gaming but also mobile gaming, it poses a lot of opportunities for Filipino gamers.”
ULVL Gaming, on the other hand, pointed out that beyond the major prizes at stake for each tournament, the sense of camaraderie and teamwork motivates players to keep on playing.
“If one player is off his game and not being a team player, by being in the wrong place or trying to be a hero, that’s usually leading the team to a loss. So strategizing by communicating is hugely important in e-games such as Mobile Legends. Basically, everyone on the team keeps each other in check,” he said.
With all of these positive support for e-sports happening on various fronts, players are expressing their gratitude to companies like ARC and ULVL for continuously setting the arena for Filipino gamers to showcase their mettle and aptitude for strategy.
“We are very happy especially since we came from the lower bracket, but we made it all the way to the top. To ARC Juicy Lemon and ULVL, we are very thankful because without you guys, we would not have the opportunity to be where we are today,” said Mark Lazaro, Finesse Titans’ Captain.
Additionally, Jay Villanueva of SGD Omega shared that they are optimistic for the future of e-sports in the country: “Dati kasi ang iniisip ng iba pagdating sa e-sports, laro-laro lang. Pero ngayon na nagiging ka-level na siya ng mga popular sports katulad ng basketball dito sa’tin, madami na ding tao na natutuwa kapag may mga nananalo tayong international players abroad. Ayun siguro ang pinaka-fulfilling sa amin.” [“Before, people think that e-sports are not serious sports. But now, the perception of it is changing. It’s becoming at par with that of popular sports like basketball here in our country. People are increasingly pleased if we have international players winning abroad. I think this is what’s most fulfilling for us.”]
Interested gamers or enthusiasts can follow https://www.facebook.com/JuicyLemonOfficial for updates on the next “Juicy Legends Tournament” and other pocket events such as the One Day Leagues where they can join.
Juicy Lemon is the refreshing, low-calorie, lemon-flavored soft drink of ARC Refreshments Corp., the manufacturer of other well-loved beverages namely RC Cola, Seetrus, Fruit Soda Orange, Arcy’s Rootbeer and Rite ‘N Lite.