The Kuala Lumpur Major is over and what an event it was. Malaysia’s first major was a huge success, showing the world the potential the country has in organizing an esports event. However, the event was not all about Dota 2.
The Kuala Lumpur Major Main Event
The main stage had an explosive atmosphere especially when the focus was on Malaysian players, Yap “xNova” Jian Wei and Yiek “MidOne” Nai Zheng. The atmosphere had a similar feel to watching a live badminton match with Lee Chong Wei on the court. The fans reacted to every action or pick made by the teams. The Grand Finals was when you could really feel the energy from the crowd. Even when the games dragged on, they did not lose that energy. Despite our local superstars not taking the trophy, fans around the stadium celebrated when Virtus.Pro claimed the trophy.
The booths at The Kuala Lumpur Major
Other than the tournament, the Axiata Arena played host to booths and smaller events. One of the more notable booths is the Predator Gaming booth. Various new models of gaming hardware and laptops were on display at the booth. The highlight of the booth is the Acer Predator Thronos gaming chair. Fans flocked to the booth to try out the new gaming chair. Even our Minister of Youth and Sports, Syed Saddiq, gave it a try after the press conference on Friday.
On the other hand, the GO Shop sold The Kuala Lumpur Major merchandise. Merchandise include hoodies, snapbacks and t-shirts. From the day it opened, a long queue would always be there. The hoodies sold like hot cakes as by the end of the second day, they were sold out. The Fnatic and Monster Energy booths were also well-received. On the other hand, the HyperX booth held a small Dota 2 competition for fans.
Meet and Greet sessions
The sessions were held on an hourly basis and an extremely long line of fans queued up to meet their favourite talents. One of the more popular sessions was the session with Evil Geniuses. Fans greeted their appearance on the mini stage with loud applause and calls. Walking through the area became a difficult task as fans crowded the area to take photos.
Another popular session was with popular Twitch streamer, AdmiralBulldog, and former professional player turned analyst, Black^. When the session ended, disappointment can be seen in the fans’ faces as many of them were not able to get their autographs. However, it did not deter the fans at all. Once the two stars left the mini stage, some of the fans chased after them. It became quite a sight as we saw what hardcore fans were willing to do to get the autographs.
Cosplay competition
Another highlight of The Kuala Lumpur Major is the cosplay competition. Various cosplayers from around the country came to show off their favourite heroes brought to life. The competition came with a RM30,000 prize pool and the winner took home RM10,000. However, a 15 minute delay to the competition took away some of the buzz and excitement. The delay caused the competition to suffer time constraints and other smaller issues. Even though there were problems with the competition, the cosplayers gave viewers some much needed entertainment. The pulled off some moves of their selected heroes and was met with cheers from the fans.
Overall, The Kuala Lumpur Major was an exciting event. As the first major of the DPC season and the first in Malaysia, a lot of pressure was placed on the organisers and they delivered. Hopefully there will be more events like this in Malaysia following the success of The Kuala Lumpur Major regardless of game.
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