Malaysia's e-sports boom: From gaming passion to digital economy opportunities

KUALA LUMPUR: E-sports has grown from a leisure activity into a professional industry in Malaysia, attracting large audiences and commercial partnerships. Mohamed Ilyas Suhairi, a 26-year-old full-time accountant, found relaxation and connection through e-sports after starting to watch professional competitions. The Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) CEO Anuar Fariz Fadzil emphasized that e-sports is a vital part of Malaysia's digital economy, creating opportunities beyond professional competition.

E-sports encompasses various disciplines, including players, coaches, production teams, and animators, contributing to the development of a wider digital talent pool. The global video game industry generated an estimated revenue of US$184 billion in 2023, with Asia-Pacific, particularly China and the United States, dominating the market.

In Malaysia, gaming is part of the creative-industry ecosystem, requiring skilled professionals in various areas such as graphic digitisation, digital sound, character programming, and creative content creation. The country's digital economy contributed 25.5% to its GDP in 2025, with the government aiming for a 30% contribution by 2030.

Malaysia has actively supported e-sports, hosting major international tournament organisers and attracting audiences worldwide. Notable events include the M6 World Championship, which attracted over 4.1 million peak concurrent viewers and more than 85 million hours watched, and the MPL Malaysia Season 18, which reached a peak concurrent viewership of 391,947.

The government allocated RM20 million in Budget 2025 to strengthen the e-sports ecosystem, focusing on talent development and upgrading e-sports arenas, including a dedicated e-sports stadium.