Image via Youtube
Esports fans in Australia, your time may have come: the country, which has never received great representation in the world of competitive gaming, is getting its very own TV channel. Every Good Game, or eGG, the Malaysian-based esports network, has locally launched in Australia via Fetch TV.
There’s a whiff of destiny in the air regarding the timing of the launch. eGG’s first important broadcast was the Boston Major, Dota 2‘s biggest fall tournament. Australian fans tuning in were lucky enough to see one of their own on the winning team—Anatham “Ana” Pham, playing solo mid for OG. He wasn’t the only one at the tournament, either; Damien “kphoenii” Chok on Newbee hails from down under, as do Kim “Velo” Tae-sung and Kim “QO” Seon-yeop on MVP Phoenix.
As for whether eGG coming to Australia will boost the region’s lackluster esports scene, that’s still up in the air. While it’s undoubtedly good news for esports fans, additional coverage won’t necessarily translate to more local events with bigger prize pools. In an interview with Red Bull, Ana said as much, when asked whether he thinks the scene will grow in the future: “I think it’s possible, but I don’t think it will. There are definitely players who could go pro, but I think they have to go international. I don’t think the scene itself will grow.”
Too often, high-level Australian players are forced to leave their country in favor of bigger opportunities elsewhere. Ana himself dropped out of high school and moved to Shanghai to pursue a career in Dota 2 when the Australian scene proved too small a pond for him to develop as a player. Ana’s current team, OG, is based out of Europe, while MVP Phoenix—the team of the other Australians who competed at the Boston Major—is South Korean.
Regardless of the degree to which eGG will help the Australian esports scene, the addition of a 24-hour dedicated network won’t hurt. The channel broadcasts a long and probably soon-to-grow list of games, including League of Legends, CS:GO, Dota 2, Call of Duty and Fifa. On top of live events, eGG also reviews games, covers gaming conventions, and hosts esports-related talk shows.
