Do fighting games have the potential to break into the mainstream esports scene in Malaysia?
The esports scene in Malaysia is dominated by genres like multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) – popular titles include Dota 2 and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) – battle royale games and first-person shooters, leaving some segments, like fighting games, in the cold.
Infinite Carnage, an organiser of fighting game events and tournaments, hopes that will change, lamenting that the genre currently lacks support.
“There is a lot of young talent in Malaysia and it’s just a matter of nurturing them to compete at the international level,” says its founder, Leon Soo, adding that players lack financial support to commit to a full-time training schedule.
Players who want to represent Malaysia at international events have had to fork out their own money to cover expenses.
Local esports companies with a budget to provide accommodation and training to compete professionally are mostly focused on MOBA or battle royale games.
Soo, who hopes to grow the fighting game community through more events and tournaments, encourages local esports bodies such as the Malaysia Electronic Sports Federation to work with local entities at the grassroot level.
In August, Infinite Carnage hosted Fighting Games Arena at the anime, comics and games convention AniManGaki in Selangor, featuring titles like Tekken 7, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Guilty Gear Strive, with an RM3,000 prize pool.
“We’re all about serving the community by hosting events and tournaments that bring people together. They are also important for motivating the community,” he says.
He claims that fighting games are easy to learn, though they may not offer the best experience on mobile, requiring players to invest in PCs or consoles, as well as gamepads.
“The best way to find out more is by joining an offline gathering. Players of all skill levels learn and socialise best in this way. That’s how people used to play and improve – by learning from one another at gaming arcades,” he adds.
Popular fighting games among the community here include Tekken 7 and Street Fighter V, as well as new titles like Guilty Gear Strive.
“Guilty Gear Strive was launched during the pandemic and we’re seeing more new faces thanks to the title,” he says.
A stylish game featuring anime-style fighters, it has a roster of colourful characters such as Bridget, whose weapon of choice is a yoyo.
It also got the most player sign-ups at the Evolution Championship Series, a major tournament set to take place in Tokyo, Japan next year. It beat bigger titles such as Street Fighter V, Tekken 7 and King Of Fighters XV.
Soo says fighting games have a lot of potential in Malaysia and even hopes to see homegrown titles featured in local tournaments.
He says GigaBash, developed and published by Petaling Jaya-based Passion Republic, is a title worth considering.
“It’s an action kaiju brawler game with a battle mode. We have to extend the reach of local titles by starting tournaments for them here first, which will also help highlight their efforts,” he says.
A fighting game was featured at the 2019 SEA Games in Manila, Philippines.
Malaysia sent two players – Zarif “Zaba” Aiman and Abdul “Fate Q” Rahim for Tekken 7 – but the gold went to Thailand while the remaining two spots were snatched by the host country.
However, no fighting titles were featured in the SEA Games held in Hanoi, Vietnam in May.
The next tournament to look out for is the Asian Games that will be held in Hangzhou, China next year, as it will feature Street Fighter V as one of the esports medal events.
