The Big Read: The serious business of gaming — Singapore eyes a slice of the billion-dollar e-sports pie

SINGAPORE: Like many other parents, Ms Jolene Poh’s folks were initially concerned when she became interested in gaming in primary school since it might affect her studies.

“When I started to win prizes, like money or gaming gears or even a laptop, then they were more supportive, but my mum still wanted me to remember that studies is No 1,” said Ms Loh, 27, who began competing in the League of Legends mobile game at the age of 17. 

Little did she expect that a decade later, she would become part of Singapore’s debuting women’s e-sports team which snagged a silver medal at the Hanoi Southeast Asian Games in May. She achieved this while juggling a full-time job in league operations at an e-sports company and studying part-time at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.

Ms Poh’s journey is a reflection of how e-sports or professional competitive gaming here has evolved over the years — an activity once described by veteran gamers as “always linked to addiction” but now increasingly recognised as a potential career path for some.

Almost in tandem, Singapore, too, is making strides in becoming a choice destination for top-tier e-sports tournaments. 

In October, Singapore will be the first Southeast Asian nation to host The International (TI) — the biggest global tournament for multiplayer online game Dota 2, which last year offered more than US$40 million (S$55.3 million) in total prize money.

This latest feather in the cap comes amid Singapore’s efforts to grab a slice of the growing e-sports pie. Globally, the industry's revenue has grown from US$996 million (S$1.37 billion) in 2020 to US$1.14 billion in 2021, according to market research firm Newzoo. This year, the figure is projected to reach US$1.38 billion. 

The growth