Singapore 2021 GEFestival: Unifying gamers globally

When the Global Esports Games (GEG) officially kicks off on December 18, it will feature some of the world’s top esports athletes.

But all the focus may be on the esports athletes, the Global Esports Federation’s celebration of all things esports actually began three weeks ago, with the start of the Global Esports Festival 2021.

The GEFestival is a tribute to the global esports culture and community, integrating art, music and technology to create a diverse and immersive world-class event. Thousands of young people from all over the world spent the last few weeks engaged in community tournaments, treated to documentaries and skits, and interacted as one big global esports family.

Victoria Cheng, Singapore 2021 GEFestival Director, said that the GEFestival was organised with one thing in mind: to unify the different esports federations around the world.

“The heart of the GEFestival lies in reaching out to gamers, and the chosen approach for my team and I was to be as real and authentic as possible,” said Cheng.

During the first week of the festival, esports fans were treated to the SEA Esports Championships Singapore qualifiers, which featured a live stream of PUBG, Wild Rift and Valorant.

In week two, the programming switched gears to a Minecraft Showcase as well as the Pokémon Unite SG Qualifiers, in which six countries competed in community tournaments.

The tournament segment of the GEFestival will culminate with the much-anticipated Pokémon Unite finals on 19 December, where student teams will build and participate in “MyCampusLife” for the GEFestival. The top three teams of the Minecraft Campus Challenge will be rewarded from a generous S$10,000 prize pool, sponsored by RIZO.gg, along with a bonus for the popular vote.

But apart from competitions, those who took part in the festival were also treated to their fair share of music and entertainment.

Alert viewers were able to catch an exclusive preview of the GEF anthem “Let The World Unite”, an original song written and sung by Singaporean singer-songwriter Jill-Marie Thomas.

“This song was written as an anthem for gamers around the world to unite and celebrate what we love,” said Thomas, herself an avid gamer and streamer.

“I was inspired to write this song because of everything that has been happening around the world today.

“Let The World Unite encompasses the coming together, equality, diversity, inclusivity, and the fighting spirit behind esports.”

Fans can also look forward to a performance from Warsaw-based Singaporean beatboxer Dharni, who will also be making a special appearance for the event. A well-known figure in Europe and Japan, Dharni’s claim to fame include opening for artists such as the Black Eyed Peas, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, and even performing during Mariah Carey’s concert.

Dharni’s back at it once again, but this time with the GEFestival, and will be filmed in front of the brand new RAZER SEA HQ’s famed LED great wall.

Said Cheng: “In the future, the GEFestival hopes to showcase more technological innovations which are not yet mainstream. Don’t be surprised if the entire festival has a proper metaverse segment next year.”

The GEFestival will end with a bang at the grand finale, which is to be held at the iconic Zouk on 18 December.

“All in all, the GEFestival hopes to continue pushing boundaries not just for the hype, but for individuals who are here for the long-run and not just the buzz,” added Cheng.