Let’s Play: The First HGS E-Sport Festival

Competitive gaming has slowly been making its way into the mainstream. E-sports, as they’re commonly called, are a popular spectacle where players compete in different games front of thousands. These can be one-on-one match ups to team based competitions, much like traditional sports are played. The Philippines has hosted international e-sport tournaments like The Manila Majors and the Rev Major that attract players from all over the world.  

Some scenes of what went down at Playtesting

With its popularity, plenty of HGS’s own employees consider themselves to be active gamers. Many play during their weekends, with some making friends with other employees through different games. It’s a hobby of many but also a common area of interest that helps employees bond with each other. With our annual sportsfest just around the corner, it seemed right to also hold the very first HGS e-sport festival.

The Birth of an Idea

The idea of an e-sports festival floated around the office for the longest time. Occasionally, an employee in the office chatrooms would invite anyone to play online that evening or over the weekend. Conversations in the pantry area would also include the latest gaming news and reviews of a game they recently played. These instances showed that games are a major hobby amongst HGS’s employees. Upon gauging interest, it was clear there was potential in hosting such an event. Over the coming weeks, organizers determined which games would be played, how they would be played and what prizes were in store for winners. As more employees signed up, excitement for the event began to also build.

An E-Sport For Everyone

The inaugural HGS e-sport festival was dubbed “Playtesting.” The name signified that it was the first e-sport related event in HGS’s history, and those participating would set the standard for future events. The BGC office was outfitted to accommodate all the players of the different games at any given time. After a few opening words from the organizers, it was time to play. The event consisted of four major games. Team games like Counter Strike and DOTA were played in different places of the office to keep teams apart. Single player games like Tekken 7 and NBA 2K17 were hosted in adjourning conference rooms. Throughout the day, players and visitors went to different games to either join in or watch as others competed. As the events went on, a casual, free play lounge was also setup with games that anyone could pick up and enjoy throughout the day. This area also was a popular spot during Playtesting as players became competitive racers in Mario Kart 8 despite not being an official event. As one organizer observed, the free play lounge games should be made into an official event next time.

When the events had finished and the winners were determined, many of the players still stayed and bonded with the other employees over games.

New Game Plus

The Playtesting event showed just how much e-sports are beloved, not just among HGS’s employees. Despite going against each other, everyone who participated had a great time bonding over their common love for video gaming. As the first of its kind for HGS, the organizers got a great idea on what worked well and what can be improved to make the next event much better. HGS has always emphasized strengthening relationships through official events that focused on employees’ strengths. The annual sportsfest and summer outing are beloved by the office because of their active and competitive nature. Through Playtesting, more HGS employees were able to showcase their own competitive spirit and start a brand new trend that will hopefully continue in the coming year. There were no losers in this inaugural event, but players who wanted to show how much they love competing for the fun of it.