On the 27th of June 2022, Esports Plaza was officially inaugurated by Honourable Silvio Schembri, Malta’s Minister for Economy, EU Funds & Lands. A 250,000 euro private investment and 6 months on, founder and director Malcolm Saleeb gives an insightful look into this 250,000 euro private investment, Malta’s esports scene and the way forward
“Lights. Camera. Action.” – On the 27th of June 2022, Esports Plaza was officially inaugurated by Minister Silvio Schembri and since that day, it has been game on. A revolutionary concept within Malta’s gaming sphere, the project combines the entertainment aspect of esports with the professional side.
Make no mistake – esports is a sport, and our centre is tailored to showcase it as such. Throughout our journey so far, thousands of people have visited our venue and we have seen a display of exceptional talent whilst introducing many others to esports for the very first time. Whenever one of our patrons tells us how they started streaming on Twitch or is training to gain a competitive edge, our mission is partially achieved, much to our satisfaction.
When I met Minister Schembri back in June, he explained how this project falls perfectly within Government’s vision – that of having a video gaming and esports sector which amounts to 1% of local GDP within the next 10 years. Is it ambitious? Perhaps, but achievable, and our centre is living proof. Our patrons’ main demographic is 10 – 25-year-olds, arguably the future generation and esports is on top of their career goals. This bodes well for the future of Malta’s esports industry, but current challenges, if not addressed, will hinder such progress.
The Malta Esports Association, led (excellently, in my opinion) by Dr Michele Magro, is working hard to ensure esports is officially recognised as a sport locally. Such recognition will open doors which have so far been closed and bolster esports’ stand within the local sphere. Another challenge is Malta’s limitations due to its relatively small size. Whilst an ideal geographical location with 300 days of sunshine per year and an easily accessible airport, Malta’s size means a limited audience, an issue which Esports Plaza has had to face since day one – especially when it comes to tournaments. Yet, we were prepared for such realities and the idea has always been clear – Esports Plaza is an international company. To this end, we set-up our centre accordingly and spared no expense. We pride ourselves on having a centre of the highest levels, with 20 Gaming PCs, 6 Playstation 5s, a dedicated professional studio and the best possible equipment readily available on the market. In 2023, we intend to establish ourselves within the international esports community via significant collaborations, major tournaments and hosting some of the world’s best esports teams for bootcamp.
Following initial teething issues, 2023 will also be a year of growth for Esports Plaza. We constantly refer to our patrons for feedback and work on their suggestions. An example is our plan to introduce another first for Malta – a 24/7 esports centre. We have tested night sessions for a few nights every month with a highly positive response. We have also introduced value for money packages in line with our main vision – that of making esports accessible to all.
I invite you all to follow our social media pages @esportsplazamt, and to contact me to discuss any possible collaborations or even for a chat on malcolm@esportsplaza.com.mt – Until then, wish you all the best for the holiday season an as always, game on!
Malcolm Saleeb
Esports Plaza Director
