The digital game Hearthstone replaced NBA 2K as one of the six medal games in eSports that will be played in the 30th Southeast Asian Games.
Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee executive director Tom Carrasco said this after he gave an update on the ongoing preparation for the biennial met.
Hearthstone is a free-to-play online digital collectible card game that is developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment.
Carrasco said the competition managers of the event were not able to get the needed license to include NBA 2K, a simulation game of the National Basketball Association.
Hearthstone builds upon the existing lore of the Warcraft series.
“Napalitan siya dahil kulang sa license,” said Carrasco.
The five other events that have been included will still be around.
These are DOTA 2, Starcraft 2, Mobile Legends Bang Bang, Arena of Valor and Tekken 7.
These official titles to be played as a medal sport when eSport is held in Clark, Pampanga later this year.
SEA Games 2019 will mark the first time that eSports is an official medal event.
ESport was first included in the 2018 Asian Games as a spectator event.
Meanwhile, national team chef de mission and Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez initiated the creation of a set of criteria for selection to the national team for the biennial meet last week.
“It is important for us to be transparent,” explained Ramirez, adding that having a selection criteria will also ensure “that we field the best among them since the success of the Games hinges on the performance of our athletes.”
The national sports associations have been informed to submit credentials of their athletes so the secretariat.
