Hyperplay 2018: Where esports and music collide

The inaugural Hyperplay 2018 wound down at the Singapore Indoor Stadium after a full weekend of explosive gaming and lively concerts. Hyperplay was ASEAN’s first youth-targeted festival to marry music and esports, and the best part? It was free.

Festivities officially launched with an opening ceremony by Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and Riot Games’ SEA country manager Chris Tran.

Hyperplay 2018

Related reading: Hyperplay 2018 – Interview with Riot Games’ Chris Tran

The event itself was a blast with acts from Singapore’s own Sam Willows and international stars like South Korean star CL and American singer-songwriter Nick Jonas.

Despite the amazing lineups by MTV Asia, our sights were set solely on a League of Legends tournament, the Hyperplay Championship 201 – a first for Singapore. It featured top teams from all the members of the ASEAN, picked through a series of qualifiers that determined each nation’s best.

Day 1 – Saturday

Day 1 showcased two semi-final match-ups, Philippines vs Malaysia and Vietnam vs Singapore, in a Best of Three format.

First up were Philippines’ Acclaim Empire X and Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur Hunters, the eventual tournament champions. Team Philippines took an early lead by claiming the first game, though Malaysia quickly found their pace and fought back to force a third game. The 1-1 tie was eventually broken by Malaysia, dominating the match to earn their place in the grand finals.

The second match-up featured Vietnam’s Super Star Destroyers and Singapore’s Sovereign. Despite the home ground advantage, Team Singapore was thoroughly beaten in the first game. The follow-up played out differently as Sovereign gained the advantage multiple times, however they were unable to fully capitalize on those moments. That set Team Vietnam for an epic comeback and a spot at the finals.

Full Day 1 coverage of Hyperplay 2018 is on Twitch.

Day 2 – Sunday

Day 2 saw a larger number of music acts taking the stage, seeings artists from Indonesia and Thailand as well as Nick Jonas and Alessia Cara.

League of Legends fans were also waiting for the Hyperplay Championship 2018 grand finals, also formatted as a Best of Three. Despite strong efforts from both sides it was Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur Hunters who claimed the trophy, defeating Vietnam’s Super Star Destroyers in a clean 2-0.

Full Day 2 coverage of Hyperplay 2018 is also on Twitch.

Hyperplay 2018 was powered by Riot Games and MTV Asia, with support from Singapore’s Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and the National Youth Council (NYC).