Garena Marks RoV’s 8-Year Milestone in Thailand, Unveils Thrilling RoV Pro League 2024 Winter
Garena Marks RoV’s 8-Year Milestone in Thailand, Unveils Thrilling RoV Pro League 2024 Winter
Garena Online (Thailand) Co., Ltd., the leading online game publisher and developer, celebrates the success of Arena of Valor (RoV), Thailand’s number one MOBA mobile game with over 255 million global players, which will mark its 8th anniversary in Thailand this coming October. Alongside this celebration, Garena also unveils insights behind RoV’s enduring popularity and announces the 14th season of its professional league called the RoV Pro League 2024 Winter, set to commence on August 17, 2024.
Ms. Pawitporn Jianprasert, Senior Manager of Garena Online (Thailand) Co., Ltd., stated, “Since its launch in 2016, RoV has become a phenomenon in Thailand’s gaming industry. RoV has captured the hearts of players nationwide through marketing strategies that resonate with digital consumers. According to the DIGITAL 2024: THAILAND report, RoV was ranked as the highest-grossing mobile game in Thailand in 2023. Garena remains committed to providing an exceptional and thrilling experience for Thai players by continuously engaging them with novel and high-quality content. This includes collaborating with global partners and creating content tailored to our Thai audience.”
“Regarding esports competition, RoV stands out as the game with the strongest esports ecosystem in the country. It offers competitions at all levels, ranging from amateur to professional, and even international tournaments. In collaboration with partners from both the public and private sectors, Garena is committed to further developing the Thai esports ecosystem to ensure its long-term strength and sustainability.”
Celebrating RoV’s Success as It Approaches Its 8th Anniversary in Thailand
Garena introduced RoV to the Thai market in 2016, and the game has achieved remarkable success, boasting over 58 million downloads and 12 million monthly active users in 2014[1]. The mobile game also ranked as the highest-grossing mobile game in the country in 2023[2]. It has amassed a global player base of over 255 million players.
RoV’s extensive and inclusive content has successfully attracted a diverse player base, appealing to all genders and ages. While 66% of players are male, RoV boasts an impressive 34% female player base, significantly higher than the 10% average for the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) genre[3].
Predominantly, RoV’s appeal spans generations especially Gen Z and Gen Y, with 33% of players aged 15-20, 36% aged 21-30, and 22% aged 31-60. Geographically, RoV’s reach extends across Thailand, with 28% of players from Bangkok and its vicinity, 15% from major cities, and a significant 57% from other provinces nationwide.
Moreover, RoV has established itself as the premier esports title in Thailand. Setting the standard for professional esports tournaments in the country, RoV has completed 13 seasons with a total prize pool exceeding 120 million baht. The league has garnered over 700 million total views across all seasons, with a peak concurrent viewership of 313,083[4] and a record offline event attendance of approximately 40,000[5] spectators, showing its sustained popularity.
The RoV community continues to expand, evolving into a comprehensive entertainment ecosystem. Fans can engage in various activities including gameplay, game casting, consuming RoV-related content, and watching esports competitions. The competitions span multiple levels, from school and university tournaments to semi-professional and professional leagues at both national and international stages. It can be said that RoV has grown from a recreational hobby into a full-fledged entertainment phenomenon and a burgeoning sport.
Behind RoV’s Success: Three Key Components Enhancing Player Experience
- Global Title Collaborations: One of the major contributors to RoV’s success is its collaboration with numerous famous comics and anime IP, such as DC, Sailor Moon, Demon Slayer, Sword Art Online, Bleach, Hunter x Hunter, One Punch Man, and Ultraman. By bringing these iconic characters into the game, RoV has created exciting crossovers that double the thrill for both gaming and anime fans, fulfilling their dreams and enhancing their enjoyment.
- Exciting Local Content: RoV’s ability to create content resonating with Thai players is undeniable. RoV heroes are the key to creating connections across all levels of fans. Hero skins and in-game items that connect deeply with Thai culture are crucial elements driving excitement within the community. Since 2019, RoV has continuously developed Thai-themed skins and even allowed Thai fans to participate in creating these skins through design contests. These contests showcase unique and culturally rich skins each year, such as Saming Tiger Liliana, Flora: Golden Cassia Tel’Annas, Tom Yum Kung Slimz, Krasue Marja, Mo Phee Jinna, Aor Jao Ilumia.
- Leading Esports Landscape: A robust esports ecosystem has been pivotal to RoV’s sustained success over nearly eight years. Garena has cultivated Rov esports competitions spanning from amateur to professional levels, with the RoV Pro League serving as a cornerstone since 2018. The company successfully brought international tournaments to Thailand, such as the Arena of Valor Premier League (APL) 2024, which have been consistently well-received by fans and esports clubs. The emergence of well-established esports clubs with professional revenue allocation and management, coupled with strong support from both private and public sectors, has accelerated the industry’s growth. By collaborating with these partners, Garena aims to strengthen and drive the Thai esports ecosystem, ensure that esports athletes have stable career paths, and that the industry continues to advance.
RoV has also been officially recognized as a professional sport in regional competitions, with Thailand’s representatives achieving remarkable success. The national team secured gold medals in both the 2019 and 2021 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), significantly boosting the popularity of esports in Thailand.
RoV Pro League 2024 Winter: the Grand Esports Battle of the Year
Garena Online (Thailand) has announced the upcoming RoV Pro League (RPL) 2024 Winter, set to commence on August 17, 2024. The grand finals will be held from October 19-20, 2024, at the BITEC Exhibition and Convention Center. This tournament is one of the most highly anticipated competitions for fans both domestically and internationally, further propelling the growth and strength of the esports industry.
The RoV Pro League 2024 Winter will feature eight teams: Talon (TLN), Bacon Time (BAC), Buriram United Esports (BRU), Hydra Esports (HD), eArena (EA), King of Gamers Club (KOG), PSG Esports (PSG), and Full Sense (FS). Each team boasts impressive skills, ready to deliver thrilling performances throughout the season.
Additionally, this grand competition has garnered support from leading partners, including M-150 Sparkling, Bangkok Bank, and Koh-Kae. Infinix has also joined as the Official Device Partner for this tournament, featuring the ‘Infinix GT20 PRO 5G’ smartphone as the official gaming device.
Exhibiting the Grandeur of RoV Pro League
During the press conference, a special RoV Pro League (RPL) exhibition was showcased to bring RoV fans together, celebrating memorable milestones and moments. The exhibition presented the league’s history from inaugural season to the present, including intriguing statistics for game enthusiasts. Highlights included the most successful club in the RPL history (Bacon Time, with 5 championship titles since RPL Season 1), the player with the most Final MVP (FMVP) awards (Difoxn, who has claimed the FMVP title twice), and a comprehensive list of RPL champions over the past five years as follows:
RPL 2020 Summer: Buriram United Esports
RPL 2020 Winter: Talon
RPL 2021 Summer: Bacon Time
RPL 2021 Winter: Talon
RPL 2022 Summer: Bacon Time
RPL 2022 Winter: Bacon Time
RPL 2023 Summer: Bacon Time
RPL 2023 Winter: Talon
RPL 2024 Summer: Talon
Furthermore, there is a “Show Match” featuring professional players and popular gaming influencers such as “Jai Raw” and “Jayop,” adding excitement for the attending fans.
“We are extremely proud to witness the growth of the RoV community and the continuous advancement of the Thai esports industry. RoV’s strong entry into its 8th year not only reaffirms the game’s success among Thai players but also demonstrates that Thai esports has development potential. It emphasizes Thailand’s capabilities to become a significant Esports Hub of Southeast Asia.” Ms. Pawitporn concluded.
