Professionalisation and international recognition
VIRESA is the body responsible for formulating the competition systems, technical regulations, rules, personnel development, while representing Viet Nam in international cooperation activities.
From 2020 to the present, VIRESA has issued regulations for popular game titles such as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, League of Legends, Audition PC, PUBG Mobile, as well as has organised a series of tournaments from local to national level.
2025 is considered by VIRESA as a pivotal year when Viet Nam participates in many important international sporting events, such as the 33rd SEA Games, the World Esports Games qualifiers - a precursor to the Olympic eSports to be held in Saudi Arabia in 2027.
This is a strategic turning point, not only demonstrating competitive capability but also providing an opportunity for Vietnamese esports to position its brand on the world map.
In this context, human resource development cooperation programmes have been strengthened, notably the memorandums of understanding with KeSPA (Republic of Korea), FPT Polytechnic, and universities regarding phygital infrastructure development - digital physical sports combining esports and physical sports - implemented from 2024 to integrate with the new global esports trend.
Viet Nam officially entered the international esports arena at the 30th SEA Games and immediately achieved success.
At the 31st SEA Games on home soil, Viet Nam won a total of 4 gold medals in Mobile Legends, Free Fire, PUBG Mobile and Arena of Valor.
A year later, at the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia, Viet Nam continued to impress with a gold medal in Crossfire and a silver medal in League of Legends: Wild Rift.
Not only in Southeast Asia, Vietnamese athletes have also made their mark on the continental stage. At the Asian eSports Games 2024, the Arena of Valor team won a silver medal, while Street Fighter 6 players also brought home a bronze medal.
Professional clubs such as GAM Esports, Saigon Buffalo, Team Flash, Vikings eSports are building an international brand.
Particularly, the Viet Nam Championship Series (VCS) tournament system has become a key playing field, helping Vietnamese players compete at the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) and League of Legends World Championship.
Names like Levi, Slayder, Artifact... are no longer unfamiliar to the international esports community. Many players have gone abroad to compete in tournaments in the Republic of Korea, Taiwan (China), Thailand... demonstrating international recognition of their professional capabilities.
Market with great potential
According to VIRESA, Viet Nam has over 28.2 million esports players; of which approximately 15.7% are viewers who regularly follow tournaments on platforms such as Facebook Gaming, YouTube, TikTok. This is an impressive figure, placing Viet Nam among the top countries with the largest esports player communities in Southeast Asia, only behind Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand.
According to Le Quang Tu Do, Director of the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, by the end of 2024, domestic gaming industry revenue reached 13.663 trillion VND (approximately 525 million USD), ranking 5th globally with a growth rate 2.5 times higher than the global average and an 8.8% increase compared to 2023.
Notably, revenue from international users for Vietnamese game developers reached over 2 trillion VND (76.7 million USD). With a young, dynamic player base that easily adapts to technology, esports is becoming a channel for soft skills education, developing reflexive thinking, tactics and teamwork - qualities increasingly essential in modern society.
In the vision towards 2030, VIRESA has identified 3 development pillars: Organising international-standard national tournament systems (including national championships, regional qualifiers, connecting with student tournaments and grassroots competitions to create an interconnected competitive ecosystem); developing esports human resources and infrastructure (collaborating with FPT, universities, foreign organisations to train coaches, commentators, referees and technicians); organising phygital events (combining esports competition with tourism, music, entertainment towards a multi-platform sports model).
VIRESA also sets the goal of hosting international tournaments; including proposing to organise an annual “Asian Invitational” tournament, gathering 8 to 12 Asian countries to compete in Viet Nam. If successful, this would be a stepping stone for Viet Nam to welcome the future Olympic eSports.
An important highlight is the support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Sports Authority of Viet Nam in recognising esports as a medal sport at various games.
Many localities have added esports to school sports programmes and national sports games.
Corporate support is also a driving force for the industry. Some technology groups have built competition venues, organised licensed tournaments and sponsored players to participate in international competitions. This not only contributes to improving competitive quality but also promotes Viet Nam's creative economy.
Currently, VIRESA and publishers have organised esports at both 31st and 32nd SEA Games entirely from a private budget.
With superior player numbers, professional tournament systems, systematically trained personnel and clear direction, Viet Nam can truly become an esports powerhouse in Asia in the coming time.
