UTS to hold International Game Development Conference this weekend

KUCHING (July 2): The University of Technology Sarawak (UTS) is set to host the International Game Development Conference 2024 at the Tun Taib Mahmud Chancellor Hall in Sibu on July 6 and 7.

According to a press release, the inaugural event, organised by the university’s School of Computing and Creative Media with support from Business Events Sarawak and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), will be officiated by Deputy Minister of Digital Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong and UTS vice chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Khairuddin Ab Hamid.

The conference will feature three main segments with keynote sessions delivered by leading figures from game developer studios and the creative media industry, which is exclusive to paid conference attendees.

The event will also include an e-sports tournament featuring Dota 2 and PUBGM, with teams from across Malaysia, and an exhibition showcasing displays by various game developer studios. Both the esports tournament and the exhibition are open to the public.

Renowned studios such as Cellar Vault Games, Betapuru Digital Sdn Bhd, Lemon Sky Studios, Hidden Chest Games, Persona Theory Games, and Spacepup Entertainment will also be featured.

One of the highlights of the conference is a keynote speech from leading esports and video game entertainment company ESL FACEIT Group Business Operations senior director Caitlin Kang.

The event will also feature a panel discussion moderated by Muhammad ‘Flava’ Farouq, a pioneer of esports commentary in Malaysia. Joining the panel will be Tiffani ‘Oling’ Lim, manager of Grills Gaming, an all-female Malaysia Dota 2 team who are Gold Medallists of the Commonwealth Esports Championships 2022 and GEG 2023.

Chai ‘Mushi’ Yee Fung, renowned Dota 2 professional player and former coach of BOOM Esports, will also be on the panel, alongside Amir Azlan Sapuan, manager of research and partnerships from MDEC.

Chai will not only be participating as a panellist as he will also feature in a special Dota 2 exhibition match on the second day of the conference, which is open to the public.

The conference is expected to attract around 600 participants from Sarawak, Peninsular Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, and Vietnam.

This significant turnout underscores the event’s regional impact, drawing a diverse group of attendees including game developers, industry professionals, esports enthusiasts, and students.

The presence of participants from various countries highlights the growing interest and collaborative opportunities within the game development and esports sectors in the region.

For further details and registration, visit the official UTS conference website.