Category: Special Features

“Hey Jay, here’s what’s up on our end.” “Let me take a look… interesting. Game, let me share it to everyone.” Catch up on the latest – Feel free to read on the announcements and featured stories from our partners.

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ESGS Year 10: See you at Esports and Gaming Summit 2023 this November 3-5!

Esports and Gaming Summit 2023 established itself to be a major hub for the gaming scene in the Philippines. In the past, it has hosted esports brands from major tech companies like Acer (Predator), ASUS (Republic of Gamers) and MSI. Last year’s edition has SEGA (Atlus) and Riot Games (League of Legends).

This year, they are celebrating their 10th year edition by hosting the event at the World Trade Center Metro Manila, which is also a host to several major exhibitions.

On this post, we are about to answer the following questions:

  • What should we look forward to at this year’s ESGS?

  • Who will be attending ESGS 2023?

  • How do I get to ESGS 2023?

What should we look forward to at this year’s ESGS?

Esports and Gaming Summit 2019

ESGS was first established in 2014 by organizer Gariath Concepts as an event for the gaming community, something it continues to give their commitment. This year’s event is set to be held on the weekend of November 3-5 (Friday to Sunday).

Look forward to the offerings from partner brands such as Globe Telecom, Samsung, JBL Quantum, Riot Games, Republic of Gamers, MSI, Tecno Mobile, RUMBLE ROYALE, Lenovo, LG Electronics, Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia and others.

Co-presenter Globe Telecom is going all-out in its offerings to all attendees of Esports and Gaming Summit 2023.

“Globe customers attending the event can expect exclusive perks such as a 5% discount on tickets, 10% discount on ESGS merchandise, an opportunity to win a 3-day pass by redeeming Globe Rewards points on GlobeOne app an express lane for attendees displaying a registered Globe SIM card, and complimentary GET bus shuttle services between the World Trade Center and three specific Ayala Malls”, says Mark Singson, Subcultures Manager for Gaming and Anime for Globe Telecom.

“There will also be a grant tailored for a standout game developer, cosplayer, or game merchant.”

We’ll have more details about Globe’s offerings later in this post.

Major Areas inside ESGS 2023

Esports and Gaming Summit 2022

ESGS’ staple activities return for this year’s gathering, including their Indie Fest game showcase, ESGS Marketplace for merch and arts, Fighting Game Arena featuring the fighting game community’s loudest K.O. reactions, and Astra Arena featuring major tournaments such as Valorant, JBL Quantum League, and Lol Empyrean Cup.

Learn knowledge regarding the gaming industry at the Gaming Class, and witness cosplay galore at the Cosplay Village (featuring the ESGS 2023 Cosplay Contest, guest panels and meet-and-greet opportunities).

Feature Upcoming Technologies

Esports and Gaming Summit 2019

Gaming can’t be without the latest tech, and Esports and Gaming Summit 2023 offers a good chunk of it. Here’s what some of the major exibitors are teasing:

  • Samsung Electronics Philippines President Min Su Chu: “We’ve seen how gaming has become intrinsic to the daily lives of enthusiasts and hardcore games. We want to encourage them to play their way and enter a new dimension of game play with Samsung. We are excited to show them our full suite of offerings in the ESGS.” (Samsung is ESGS 2023’s Platinum exhibitor.)

  • Lenovo Philippines Consumer Product Manager JB Aquino: “2023 is shaping up as an exciting year for gaming with Lenovo. We’re excited to see Legion fans again and showcase our latest and greatest in gaming innovation. Customers should definitely look forward to exciting product showcases at our booth, hot off our recently-announced product lineup from IFA 2023.”

  • ASUS Philippines Product Marketing Lead Sean Agno: “Excited to see all the faces of gaming in the Philippines and how the industry can come together to celebrate one thing – their passion for gaming. Seeing familiar faces, the excited crowd, and the amazing atmosphere of the venue hall. And the mere fact that every year the bar is set higher, I am really excited to see what this 10th Anniversary can bring.“

Lenovo is offering their Legion AI Engine+ product line powered by 13th generation Intel Core H series processors. Not only that, MSI is set to put gamers into an immersive experience with their setup, LG Electronics is presenting their OLED Ultragear monitor range, TECNO MOBILE will showcase their smart devices, and JBL Quantum offers discounts of up to 50% exclusively at the event.

Other exhibitors include Red Bull, H&M, PlayStation, SVGA, DeVant, Eplayment, SSKAIT, Tito Steef’s, Pinoy Retro Gaming, FTWIN Nutrition, Pizza Hut Gaming, Ugreen, Ragnarok Landverse, SteelSeries, and Apeiron.

Who will be attending Esports and Gaming Summit 2023?

RUMBLE ROYALE will bring its roster of talents to ESGS for meet-and-greet sessions, and The Pokemon Company will distribute Pokemon Card Fun Packs and playmats to attendees. Experience what Riot Games will offer this time following their recent takeback of publishing rights to League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics.

At this moment, here are the personalities set to appear at ESGS: (Note that some of them will appear in two or more activities, giving you more chances of seeing them in person)

  • RUMBLE ROYALE: Mochii 桜, Jaz “General2na” Comoda, Drop Out Candy, Monmon plays, Yumekooo, Rebyczko, Darling, Alpha Twentyfour, Extra Rai, Kriphie, PaylStation, Juuno, 2Staxx and KingFB.

  • Riot Games: Charess, Buunja, Kitz Cua, Cholo Tolentino, Razzie Binx, Suzzysaur. Exosen, Rebengga. Riku, Guiang Gaming, Kapitan Pugo, BBKIM, Kirk 区, Jillipuff, Gypxidge, GLOCO, Prince De Guzman and AWIE, (Content Creators) Myrtle Sarrosa, Een and Lykable.

  • Tekken 8 Showmatch: Pro players PBE AK and ELITE-20V Jules; Pro comedians Red Ollero and Alexio.

  • Pizza Hut Gaming: Anj, Gangstacks, John Weak, The Pebbles, Krayzeke TV, Chichi, AnimeWifey, Dimpsss and Hannah Gwen.

  • Meet-and-Greets: (Gaming Streamers) Dogie, AJ, Manjean, Shinboo, AP Bren, (for Platinum ticket holders) Katiecakey, Myrtle Sarrosa, Hippochii, Gangstacks, Hannah Gwen, Dimpsss, Kang Dupet, Chichi, KingFB and Paylstation, Yumeeko, Anj Gaming, The Pebbles, Spicyuuu, Krayzeke TV, and Nyaati.

  • Gaming Class: (Knowledge-sharing Activities at the 2nd Floor)

  • Bands: The Itchyworms and Mayonnaise

All of these are recapped in a Primer streamed last October 27:



How do I get to ESGS 2023?

  • From ONE Ayala (Ayala Center Makati), U.P. Town Center, Alabang Town Center: Download the GET Pass App and use the code GLOBEXESGS to get free rides at assigned GET locations.

  • GrabCar and Move It: Make sure you key in the assigned discount codes before you book rides. Limited redemption cap is applied.

  • Commute by Train: Arrive at LRT1 Gil Puyat Station (Buendia) and ride a jeep to World Trade Center Metro Manila.

  • By Bus: (from PITX) Bus # 6 or 7 (route going to Fairview, Quezon City) – the Bus should pass by the World Trade Center Metro Manila.

See you at the Esports and Gaming Summit 2023 this November 3-5 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila, Pasay City. Tickets are available online via Slash, and are also available onsite. For more information about the Electronic Sports and Gaming Summit, please visit the following links: Facebook, Twitter / X, Instagram, Tiktok.

ESGS is organized by Gariath Concepts, in partnership with main presenter Globe Telecom, and Platinum Exhibitor Samsung.

I’ve covered ESGS in the past, for keepsakes. and also for The Reimaru Files. Check them out below:

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Download Farlight 84 on Steam now

Following my trip to the Farlight 84 Philippines Summit, the fast-paced hero battle royale is now available for download for the PC through Steam.

Farlight 84, a new star on the FPS game genre, reports that it has received 10 million downloads worldwide, a huge milestone during its early access phase. Farlight 84 brings a fresh take on the battle royale and shotting game segment by putting emphasis on high mobility, player abilities and teamwork.

The FPS game has a diverse set of characters each with their own unique set of skills offering offensive, defensive and supportive capabilities for the team. Players also master a range of vehicles and gadgets to help them dodge opponent attacks and gain advantage in battles. Its progressions system rewards and boosts each character’s abilities based on how long they have survived or how they are taking over the battlefield.

Farlight 84 as a cross-platform game is continuously being updated to ensure that it will bring optimum fairness to players, especially on the PC. Play the game on your mobile device or the PC with just one account.



“As a team, we continually strive for excellence, curating engaging and localized gaming experiences that resonate deeply with players. Our collaborations have brought fruitful and meaningful results, amplifying our mission to take gaming to new heights,” Nelson Woon, Senior Director of Global Publishing at FARLIGHT 84, said.

Know more about Farlight 84 through its official pages:

Farlight 84 - Teaser

Farlight 84 - Functions

Farlight 84 on Steam

Farlight 84 on Mobile

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Farlight 84 Philippines Summit Presents Game’s Plan to Dominate PH Gaming Scene

Farlight 84 Philippines Summit gathered the biggest names in gaming and esports media for a night showcasing what the game has to offer in the future—and they are sure geared up for domination.

I did not expect the sharp popularity of Farlight 84 among all of the online games that went popular here in the Philippines. A multi-platform game—released April this year and available on Android, iOS and the PC (and recently through Steam)—is gradually gaining traction. The latest SteamDB numbers show that the game has an all-time peak of 41,396 from 2 months ago.

When I was in Baguio for an abrupt FOMO-killing visit to Hobby Exposure Convention, one of the guests, Solibeau, dressed up as Maggie, one of the heroes in the game. A week after, I visited PGDX and saw the game’s huge presence there, bringing along cosplayers Jane Yu and Rei Na. Then the Summit happened another week after that, which brings us to what happened last Thursday.

The Farlight 84 Philippines Summit, aside from being held physically at The Blue Leaf Cosmopolitan in Bridgetowne, Quezon City, was also streamed live on Facebook. Long story short, the event showcased what the game’s dev are cooking.

Farlight 84 by the numbers

Farlight 84 Philippines Summit - by the numbers

  • At the Farlight 84 Philippines Summit, the devs takes pride in having over 30 million players worldwide with over 1 million daily active users in the country.

  • The game is ranked top in App Store and Google Play store in multiple markets. More than 3,000 creators (40 of which have millions of followers) are playing the game.

  • Over 200 team members are scattered throughout the United States, Singapore and Shanghai deploying constant game updates—such as new hero updates, seasons and battle pass skins every month; as well as new maps, weapons, vehicles and game modes every 6 months.

  • The devs are committed to responding to player feedback within 3 days, implementing player feedback in-game within a month and constantly collecting feedback from the community every day. They also have zero tolerance against cheating as they commit to a fair play system, implementing anti-cheat measures (this year, they currently banned 44,000 attempts).

  • As mentioned earlier, Farlight 84 is available on mobile and the PC, but at the Farlight 84 Philippines Summit, they announced game ports for Nintendo Switch this year, as well as the PlayStation 5 and XBox the following year.

Updates for Farlight 84 the Philippines

Farlight 84 Philippines Summit - Offline Campaigns

  • A new Filipino hero is set to be revealed late October this year. New hero skin for the Philippines is also in the works.

  • The game’s promo strategy involves offline presence, as well as hyperlocal and cybercafe collaborations. Collaborations with artists Ella Cruz and SB19’s Josh and Justin are on the way.

    • Ella expressed her excitement with her Farlight 84 collab which includes a battle emote, brand film, and a dance clip which will also be shown in-game. “I’m really thankful for this opportunity, and of course it brings me immense pride to be the brand ambassador; and for the collaboration of Farlight 84—diving head-first into heart-pounding excitement of one of the Philippines’ most beloved FPS games. As a player myself, I’m thrilled by the positive impact Farlight 84 is bringing to the Filipino gaming community.”

    • SB19’s Josh and Justin sent a video message, telling the audience that they are enjoying the game even when they’re on tour.

  • The Farlight 84 Philippines Summit also featured their collaborations with TNC Cyber Cafe, content creators and the collegiate esports scene. On top of these, they are working on holding a 2024 World Cup in line with their vision of building a sustainable and long-term esports ecosystem.

Thoughts on Farlight 84 as a non-gamer

Farlight 84 Philippines Summit - Characters

Yes, you saw it right, I don’t play games (but let me be clear that I’m looking into an intellectual property first for its character designs)—I am of course attracted to Maggie and the way she was developed as a character: She’s got pizza time, she sidelines as an influencer, but more importantly I see her as the D.Va of current time with these characteristics. I hope we’re on the same page on this.

Moving forward, we will yet see how Farlight 84 will fare well with other FPS games. It’s the best time to try the game now and see for yourself why this game is played by tens of thousands of people globally.

Given that there are few VTubers playing the game at the moment, it may also be the right time to see if the so-called “Apex Legends for kids” can be a hit with the VTuber culture (and I encourage you to try playing it now on stream with chat, the devs could be watching you guys for suggestions on improving the game).

Again, Farlight 84 is available on Steam—and as my good friend Nico of Exosia Project showed to me, it’s playable on the Steam Deck starting this month. Thank you to the Farlight 84 Philippines Summit, CBZN Perspective and Chad for the invitation.

Photos from the Farlight 84 Philippines Summit

Farlight 84 Philippines Summit -

Farlight 84 Philippines Summit - Team, Guests and Event Hosts

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Philippine Game Dev Expo (PGDX) 2023 List of Indie Games, Activities for Businesses and Visitors

Philippine Game Dev Expo or PGDX is set to gather gamers, game developers and people with similar interests under one roof through a showcase of amazing activities and wide business opportunities. Organizers CBZN Perspective and Game Developers Association of the Philippines are hopeful that this event—the first of its kind in the country—will spark more interest in game development.

What’s in it for Gamers and Developers at PGDX?

  • PGDX co-presented by PLDT and SMART will have a business conference, B2B matching, an Indie Game Showcase and expo for Exhibitors and Artists throughout the weekend.

  • Among the major partners for this event are Taipei Game Show and Japan’s Bitsummit Indie Game Festival—if you are an indie game dev rooting for a global audience, now’s the time to reach out to them at the PGDX.

  • Academics (Meeting Room 2 and 3) and Professionals (Meeting Room 1) will also be treated to a series of discussions and knowledge-sharing activities—click on each image below for the schedule.

PGDX Educational Track Day 1

PGDX Educational Track Day 2

PGDX Educational Track Day 3

PGDX Professional Track Day 1

PGDX Professional Track Day 2

PGDX Professional Track Day 3

Around 55 indie games developed locally will be showcased at the event, including the following:

The first 3,000 visitors for the days will get a chance to win prizes at the Awe-mazing Gacha booth quest raffle. Every hour, a visitor will be given their chance to spin the gacha wheel. Cosplayers are also welcome to join—the top 3 cosplayers selected by Facebook fans for the day will be given their chance as well.

Tickets are available online at tickets.pgdx.ph. For more information on PGDX, check out our previous post or visit the website at pgdx.ph.

Philippine GameDev Expo on August 18-20

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Otaku Expo Tanabata Festival 2023 Coming this August 19-20

Otaku Expo Tanabata Festival is back, covering all of Megatrade Hall this weekend!

Most people know Tanabata as a star festival held on July 7, but a conversation with Allineus had me Google the keyword “Tanabata season.” After a few clicks, I saw this post from Japan Guide which reads:

Because the 7th month of the year roughly coincides with August rather than July according to the formerly used lunar calendar, Tanabata is still celebrated on August 7 in some regions of Japan, while it is celebrated on July 7 in other regions.

The organizer of Ozine Fest and Otaku Expo had its Tanabata Festival Special event at Ayala Malls Manila Bay on the weekend of July 15-16 (I was able to capture snapshots there). To follow that is the main Otaku Expo Tanabata Festival to be held this weekend at Megatrade Halls 1 to 3 of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.

Knowing that Otaku Expo has been a name in Manila’s convention circuit since its first edition in 2010, I’m pretty sure that it’s been a constant staple of the cosplay crowd as time passed by:

  • Currently, Otaku Expo has two editions—an Anime and Manga Drawing Special held at the start of the year, and the Tanabata Festival which we are to talk about. Preceding the Tanabata Festival concept was Otaku Expo Reload which ran for some time.

  • In 2020 we are fortunate to ask DMYO / Nao Shirahane a few questions. I know DMYO best for her illustration of Culture Japan (Danny Choo)’s Mirai Suenaga.

  • I interviewed Hanari from Hong Kong, a cosplayer recognized by hololive Production’s Akai Haato, for VTuber NewsDrop. That interview happened at Otaku Expo Tanabata last year.

  • Otaku Expo has invited cosplayers from nearby countries, such as Miu and Shimo (in 2018), as well as Luffy and Tsubasa in 2016. At the Tanabata Special last July, I met Misaki from Thailand.

What’s In Store at Otaku Expo Tanabata Festival?

Otaku Expo already has a detailed guide on Facebook, but to make it brief and concise, the venue is going to make good use of its three halls for all visitors:

Hall 1—Most of the time, we’ll be here to capture photos of cosplayers in their best poses. We may also have our interviews done in this area. (keepsakes. is a media partner for the event.)

  • Photoshoot Area (Organizer’s note: “We will be dividing the space to accommodate more photographers. Just a reminder to the photographers to discuss amongst yourselves so that we can give a chance to other photographers as well.”)

  • Tanabata Area featuring the games you’d usually see in an outdoor fest in Japan. Note that if you are dressed up in a kimono, you can get treats like free popcorn and cotton candy. You can also rent kimonos in the area, or browse through these kimonos on display.

  • Cosplayer Guests Meet and Greet Area

  • Baggage Area (Charges may apply)

  • Busking Area (featuring surprise performers singing to the tune of your favorite anime songs)

  • Food Stalls and Refreshments

Hall 2—The largest hall at Megatrade in terms of space will host a lot of exhibitors as well as the stage area.

  • Stage Area—We’ll be here for the Battle of the Bands, Singing Competitions, Cosplay Competition and the like.

  • Sponsors such as Japan Foundation Manila, Ragnarok Origin Online, Razer Gold, Mineski Slash, and Fuwa Fuwa are here.

  • Ragnarok Origin Online Cafe—I remember that one time I went to what was supposed to be the last Ozine Maid Cafe, only to see that they’ve revived this again and this time teamed up with Ragnarok Origin and Razer Gold.

Hall 3—This is where you go for merchandise and fan arts.

There will also be areas at Halls 1 and 2 allocated for people with disabilities and senior citizens called Ozine Cares:

  • Hall 1—near the busking area

  • Hall 2—near the side of the stage

Sskait, a comic creator of today’s generation and now a staple in most conventions, will be releasing a limited edition “Shiny Sakura Talong” plush at Otaku Expo Tanabata Festival.

Guest Cosplayers

This year’s Otaku Expo Tanabata Festival brings together 5 guest cosplayers from here and abroad:

  • Tomia from Korea, a cosplay legend who has a stellar lineup of cosplays ranging from video games to anime;

  • Joining Tomia is Sansin, who is also from Korea, and a first-time visitor to the country;

  • Tsubasa from Hong Kong, a past cosplay guest who I now remember the most through his cosplay of Redo of Healer‘s Keyaru alongside his cosplay harem composed of Hong Kong’s cosplay legends.

  • Hakao, local cosplayer and official content creator for Hoyoverse’s Genshin Impact with 1.5 million Tiktok followers;

  • and Boozt.io co-founder and chief creator Charess, whose life is divided between her corporate role, guest appearances in the Philippines and overseas, and being a mainstay for Brand New Company’s Irregular Programing network.

Tickets Available On-site

From the organizer: “Online Ticket purchase via Mineski Slash are already sold out but we will be selling at the event […]” Those who are yet to still purchase tickets will still have the chance to get in.