Esports, the world of competitive video gaming, has evolved from a pastime to a multi-billion-dollar global industry. With professional players, organised tournaments, and massive audience pools, esports has established itself as a major player in both sports and entertainment industries.
In Malaysia, the esports sector has gained notable traction too. Just recently this year, the Selangor Red Giants (SRG) brought home Malaysia’s first international Mobile Legend Bang Bang champion title by defeating the Philippines’s Falcons AP Bren at the MSC 2024. Their success has assuredly reflected the growth in Malaysia’s esports. Fueled by a rising interest in competitive gaming, government support, and advancements in digitalisation, we couldn’t help but wonder how this sector has developed over the years in Malaysia. Through a deeper look into and comparison of the key trends related to esports topics, this exploration aims to paint a clearer picture of the current state of esports in Malaysia.
When we talk about awareness in esports, we refer to the general recognition of esports as an industry. That is, knowing what it is, being aware of the events, teams, or tournaments, and understanding its existence in sports and entertainment culture. Awareness often comes from exposure to media coverage, advertisement, or word-of-mouth.
Familiarity, on the other hand, goes a step further. It encompasses a more in-depth understanding of esports from actively following specific games, teams, and events, or being involved as a player. It implies a deeper engagement and connection with the esports realm, reflecting stronger interest.
Since 2020, Malaysia has seen a steady rise in both esports awareness and familiarity. In Q1 and Q2 2024 saw peak awareness at 89%, up from 85.5% in the same period of 2023. Likewise, familiarity has experienced a significant jump from 23.5% in early 2023 to over 50% in early 2024. These figures signify not only the growing recognition of the esports industry but also greater engagement among the Malaysian population. It marks a step toward the goal of becoming a recognised esports hub, following the government’s RM30 million allocation to esports in Budget 2024.
Now, let’s explore how these trends vary across different regions, demographics, and genders to grasp the expanding impact of esports in Malaysia in more detail.
Overall, the majority of 2024’s esports awarers are from Klang Valley, aged 25-34, predominantly Malay and female. Klang Valley leads with 36%, followed by Johor Bahru (26%), Penang (22%), and Kuantan (17%). This regional dominance of Klang Valley is not surprising given its position as the country’s major economic and cultural hub; the exposure to digital trends and technology is naturally higher. The consistency in regional distribution since 2020 suggests that these areas have remained key players in the growth of esports awareness.
Among the 18-24 age group, awareness dipped slightly from 50% in 2023 to 48% in 2024 but carried on as a key demographic. The 25-34 age group continues to dominate esports awareness, growing from 50% in 2023 to 52% in 2024.
Gender-wise, female awareness of esports has steadily risen to 55% in 2024, surpassing male awarers that is at 46%. By ethnicity, the Malay community stayed as the largest aware group, though their percentage fell from 56% in 2023 to 51% in 2024. Chinese have shown an upward trend in awareness, moving from 37% in 2023 to 41% in 2024. Lastly, awareness among Indians has also grown, reaching 9%.
Compared to awareness, the data indicates a considerable shift in esports familiarity across the regions and demographics in Malaysia. Even though Malays and those from Klang Valley remain the two most familiar groups, age and gender are dominated by the 18-24 age group and males. Risen from 39% to 45% in 2024, the results from Klang Valley can likely be attributed to the concentrated esports activities, sponsorships, and events held in the region. Johor Bahru remains stable at 33%, while Kuantan sees a slight increase to 20%.
Moving to the age group, 18-24 years old has been more familiar with esports since 2020; it’s marked at 54% this year compared to the 25-34 age group at 46%. Perhaps the reason this age group demonstrated better familiarity but lower awareness is that they tend to have more leisure time to experience the game themselves; while the older age group may be more attuned to keep up and formalised esports from the digital economy perspective, hence the awareness.
When comparing between genders, female familiarity has dipped to 48%, while male familiarity has risen to 53%. This discrepancy could be due to the complexities of engagement. That is to say, while females are increasingly aware of esports due to equality progress like the rising number of female players in Malaysia, they may not be as deeply involved in the competitive scene or viewership as males due to the lack of women categories available. Therefore, the Bronze medal win in the 2023 SEA Games has given women additional opportunity and exposure in such category.
In terms of ethnicity, while the Malay community is still ahead of the Chinese and Indian communities, there is a sharp decline to 46% in 2024 from 58% in 2023. Chinese and Indian have displayed 7% and 4% more familiarity in 2024 at 42% and 12%, respectively. This overall position reflects broader cultural engagement with esports across ethnic groups, driven by diverse game titles and successful influences that appeal to these communities.
During this study, it tells us that a majority of Malaysians (39%) sometimes read up on esports. 67% in total, engage with esports either “sometimes”, “quite often”, or “all the time”. This demonstrates a strong overall interest in staying informed about the esports scene, despite some variability in frequency.
On the other hand, it is an overview of sources used for esports updates. YouTube emerged as the leading platform for Malaysians to keep up with the games at 49%. This popularity is likely due to the video platform’s vast range of content, including live streams, match highlights, tutorials, reviews, and reactions. Many prominent esports games and gaming influencers also use YouTube to engage with their audience. Examples include the LoL Esports channel which garnered 3.7M subscribers, and retired esports player — JessNoLimit with 52.1M subscribers.
Social media is another major site for esports updates, with 35% of Malaysians engaging in it. Platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram provide real-time updates on announcements like player rosters and create a community where esports fans can interact with each other. It is a quick, informative, and interactive way to keep up with what’s happening in the industry.
Word of mouth again proves their influentiality, with 27% of esports information received from friends and 23% from family. The nature social aspect of esports tends to foster discussion among peers or relatives with similar gaming interests. This extends to Reddit groups (23%), another online community that creates hubs for detailed analysis, fan theories, opinions, and discussions on specific esports topics.
As of 2024, the most watched and followed esports games in Malaysia are dominated by popular multiplayer battle arena (MOBA) and first-person shooter (FPS) titles.
Mobile Legends Bang Bang (MLBB) leads with 25% of viewers and followers, marking its continued dominance in the Malaysian esports scene. This is foreseeable as the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL Malaysia) is the nation’s pioneering and longest-running esports league; their last season’s 13 grand finals have gathered more than 600 thousand concurrent viewers.
League of Legends (LoL) claimed PUBG Mobile’s second spot in 2024 at 16%, while PUBG Mobile settled at third most watched and followed (13%). The rise of LoL can be linked to its well-established international tournaments like the World Championship; as of this year, the series has reached 1 billion hours of watch time worldwide, just second after MPL.
The remaining games in the top 10 lists for 2024 are FIFA, Dragon Ball FighterZ, DOTA2, Counter-Strike, PUBG PC, Fortnite, and Crossfire, respectively.
Notable shifts are observed in the top 10 esports games played in 2024 compared to previous years. However, MLBB remains Malaysian gamers’ top choice and has achieved a significant 24% of the total play share in 2024. Besides the influence of MPL Malaysia, this lasting popularity may arise from its accessibility as a mobile game. With affordable smartphones, players previously excluded from competitive PC gaming can now pursue their gaming interests on their phones.
Next, LoL has grown from a mid-ranked game in 2022 to the second most-played esports game by 2024 at 19%. FIFA, through its strong affiliation with real-world football events and Malaysia’s “Bola Sepak” culture, has contributed to its sustained appeal to Malaysian gamers as the third most-played esports game (10%). PUBG Mobile has seen a drop in popularity, falling to fourth place in 2024 (7%) from the second in 2023.
The remaining games in the top 10 lists for 2024 are DOTA2, PUBG PC, Super Smash Bros, Fortnite, Tekken, and Warcraft ll, respectively. The difference in preferences over the years, and between top games played vs viewed, reflects the continuous shifting of gamers’ preferences shaped by external (trends) and internal (interest) factors. To gain and sustain a place in the scene, gaming companies and developers may focus not only on the gaming experience itself but also on promotional sites to stay relevant in the market.
The attendance at esports events in Malaysia has consistently remained low. As seen from the data above, it has been declining in recent years, marking a 15% attendance rate in 2024 compared to 27% in 2020.
One major reason for this trend is the convenience of online viewing and real-time information, with platforms like YouTube (49%) and social media (35%) being the preferred methods of keeping up with esports. Fans may choose to follow the games from the comfort of their own homes rather than attending in person. While some may say online viewing does not capture the actual atmosphere, it provides other interactive opportunities such as discussion over live chat. Also, the plus point is most online streaming platforms are free while attending games in person requires them to spend on tickets and transportation. The virtual experience provides a more inclusive experience for watching esports. However, this poses a challenge for the brand and event organiser on the value of sponsorship as brands present.
Therefore we further extended the study into the behaviour of those who attended esports events. Among them, 96% of attendees stated that they do visit the gaming booth at esports events, displaying impressive interaction and engagement with sponsors. Breaking down the categories of booths visited shed light on the types of businesses that resonate most with esports audiences.
First, telecommunications and entertainment electronics have the most attention (each at 17%). As most attendees are likely gamers too, these sponsors benefit as endemic brands that showcase their new products and features directly related to esports, such as Samsung and PlayStation.
The following two are payment services and non-alcoholic drinks (both at 12%). For payment vendors like Visa, it is by means indispensable in esports as digital transactions are key for gaming, whether for in-app purchases or game subscriptions. Meanwhile, beverage sponsorships like 100Plus wire their drink to become the go-to refreshment for certain games, catering to everyone involved.
The last two on the top visited booths are logistics and health & well-being products (both at 11%). Following the popularity of online shopping, logistic companies have seen value in gaming purchases, where efficient shipping and reliable delivery are preferred. Likewise, health supplement brands have recognised the unique nutritional needs that gamers require. Specialising different types of supplements that support performance in gaming, such as eye health and attention, resonates with gamers and reminds them to keep their health in check while immersing themselves in the game. In general, these sponsors are establishing themselves as integral parts of the gaming world. As the products and services are acknowledged to enhance gaming experiences, being present at these physical events can heavily influence purchase decisions.
The categories continue to stretch into retail, luxuries, insurance, hotel, flight, and automotive. While sponsors like airlines and automotives are relatively new in the game and do not have an organic connection with esports, their participation shows an understanding of the market’s potential growth. This long-term play aims to build early recognition with future buyers within the esports industry.
Reach out to theteam@oppotus.com if you would like to dive deeper into the numbers and market opportunities in Malaysia’s esports industry.
