Dark League Studios and Smart sealed a momentous partnership seen to move esports forward especially on the grassroot level where they hope to discover the next generation of national esports athletes on Wednesday, June 21, at the New World Makati Hotel.

Dark League studios co-founders Bobby Rosales and Alfrancis Chua with PLDT and Smart Communications president Al Panlilio (middle).

The two top organizations in their respective fields aim to work hand-in-hand to bring high-level tournament experience for aspiring esports athletes through Smart’s Giga Arena, an all-in-one esports platform for popular games including Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Call of Duty Mobile, Player's Unknown Battleground, and League of Legends Wild Rift.

Aside from that, Smart is also powering Dark League Studios as it also hosts the Sibol National team qualifiers for the IESF World Esports Championships, Asian Games and Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games along with Philippine Esports Organization.

“We are also changing the game for esports. We are elevating esports in the Philippines, our goal is to bring it to the next level. We want to be a major player in esports globally,” said PLDT Inc and Smart Communications president and CEO Al S. Panlilio.

"We share Smart's vision for Philippine Esports, and we are excited to leverage our expertise and experience in engaging the gaming community and inspiring Filipino gamers to fulfill their dream," said Alfrancis Chua, Co-Founder & Chief Marketing Officer of Dark League Studios.

Also gracing the event were Dark League Studios co-founder Bobby Rosales and CEO AC Valdenor, and PESO Executive Director Marlon Marcelo.