Razer has announced its intention to lead the charge for esports in the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in 2021. They were previously the official esports sponsor for the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines, where esports was a medaled event for the first time in sports history.

Now, in the 2021 SEA Games, Razer has worked with industry partners and regional esports federations to once again, succeed in the official inclusion of esports in this competitive tournament.

Razer Chief Marketing Officer Zuber Mohammed said:

“Esports has always been a fundamental part of the Razer DNA. 

We have led the rally to elevate esports as a recognized medal event at the SEA Games in 2019 and 2021.

With esports now being confirmed as an official event again for SEA Games 2021, we remain committed to working together with the region’s national esports federations to drive its continued development and to prepare all participating athletes for the upcoming competitions.”

Ahead of SEA Games 2021, which will be held in Hanoi, Vietnam, Razer is working closely with multiple partners to prepare athletes. Together with the national esports federations in the region and supporting the SEA esports community, Razer has organized a variety of initiatives such as Razer Invitational – SEA to provide training opportunities, support and a global platform to regional esports athletes.

This includes working with VIRESA to sponsor the Vietnam team during the International Esports Federation Championship to train and gear up for the international stage.

Vietnam Electronic Sports and Entertainment Association (VIRESA) President Xuan Cuong Nguyen said:

“With the overwhelming support from Razer and federations, we’re pleased to share that esports is once again part of the SEA Games.

Many athletes have taken part in competitions to train for the upcoming esports event, despite not knowing if the games are confirmed.

We are heartened by the dedication of the athletes and will pledge to level up esports in the region.”

Razer Invitational first kicked off with a Southeast Asian edition with the goal of preparing the Southeast Asian athletes for SEA Games 2021, prior to the confirmation of its inclusion.

Working with industry partners and regional esports federations, Razer organized and launched an inclusive, yet highly competitive tournament that featured esports athletes from 10 countries including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

It was the largest SEA esports tournament of 2020 and saw more than 500 teams participating with 10.5 million live stream views and 67 million social impressions.

Following the success of Razer Invitational – Southeast Asia, Razer then continued its bid to discover and nurture a new generation of esports athletes globally: the fully digital tournament is now ongoing in Latin America. Razer Invitational is also scheduled to begin in Europe, from December 10, 2020 through to January 30, 2021.

For more information, you can visit the official website here.