The Philippine Star
January 26, 2023 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — A new dawn has arrived in the Philippine sports landscape with the birth of the “PBA Esports Bakbakan” – an innovative two-in-one, basketball-Esports collaboration between the Philippine Basketball Association and Dark League Studios.
Bridging the gap between two disciplines through a historic platform, the partnership paves the way for a first-of-its-kind Esports league that will have the 12 staple franchises of Asia’s oldest professional basketball league.
The prominent Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) is the first online game up for grabs in Season 1 among the 12 PBA squads with Call of Duty Mobile (CODM), PlayerUnknowns’ Battlegrounds (PUBG) and DOTA2 in the pipeline for succeeding seasons.
“We in the PBA are extremely proud and grateful for this partnership with Dark League. With the history of the PBA sports entertainment combined with the growing influence in modern technology, this is a win-win situation. Nagpapasalamat kami sa Dark League sa cooperation na ito with the PBA,” said PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial.
“It’s an eye opener for all the Filipinos. For the longest time, there’s really been a separation between the community of traditional sports and Esports. We do it not just to bridge the gap but to create aspirations for the next generation,” said Dark League Studios CEO AC Valdenor, one of the co-founders with PBA governors Alfrancis Chua of Ginebra and Bobby Rosales of Terrafirma.
PBA Esports Bakbakan will open shop in March pitting Barangay Ginebra, TNT, San Miguel, Meralco, NLEX, Magnolia, Rain or Shine, Phoenix Super LPG, Terrafirma, Blackwater, Northport and Converge in a whole different arena.