Man Yong Le is a versatile professional with a background in journalism, marketing, and event management. As a former broadcast journalist at Channel NewsAsia, Yong Le honed his storytelling skills and gained valuable experience in the media industry – which includes coverage of Dota 2’s premier competition, The International. He was also involved in the dynamic world of esports, working as a branding and marketing specialist at Cyberathlete Pte. Ltd. There, he led a team in promoting Cyberathlete Collegiate Mobile Legends 2022, a Southeast Asian collegiate esports competition. In his leisure time, he's an avid content creator, live-streaming on Twitch, producing gaming videos on YouTube, and indulging in music covers with his band using Ableton.

In today’s hyper-connected globe, the meaning of national identity is no longer rigid, and we’re seeing a dissolution of cultural borders as we travel through our devices. This shift in mentality is happening against a turbulent geopolitical backdrop as countries prioritise regional allies.

Border Reorder

From decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs)  run on Discord to city-wide mutual aid groups, people are finding safety and optimism in numbers. For growing numbers of people, collective action is emerging as the only viable solution to compounding crises and deepening alienation.

World Builders

Stephen C. Rea, PhD, is an anthropologist who specialises in digital culture. He wrote his doctoral dissertation about South Korean online gaming culture, including the Korean

 professional esports scene. His research has appeared in 

Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute

, among others. Stephen is currently an independent researcher working on digital extremism, disinformation, and online hate and harassment.

South Korea

Republic of Korea

Gaming

Media and Entertainment

GGRecon

Inven Global

The Independent

Esports Illustrated

One Esports

Hypebeast

Games Radar

DemandSage

ScienceDirect

Dot Esports

SeoulZ

AsiaFundManagers

Korea Economic Institute of America

Intenta Digital

Asia Sports Tech

Dexerto

MIT Technology Review

Esports Insider

Allkpop

Interview with Stephen C. Rea conducted by the author

Newzoo

Deloitte

Colormatics

International Sports Convention

Lend EDU

SpoTV News

Manila Bulletin

In recent years, esports has emerged as a multibillion-dollar industry, painting a promising future for a gaming league wanting to go pro. In South Korea, the ‘mecca of esports,’ a pro gamer, Faker, is showing the world why investing in esports fans and casual gamers can lead to marketing victory.

Cultivate

Experiences and Sensations

Values and Identity

How T1’s Faker leads a global league of esports fans