ESGS 2022: Day 3 Means Cosplay, Games, & A Whole Lot Of Fun

Comeback never ends as the E-Sports & Gaming Summit (ESGS) concludes its 2022 edition with a climactic note, capping the year’s convention with intense championship rounds, festive rewards ceremonies, and surprise last-minute announcements from guests and exhibitors. While the third or last day of any convention is usually perceived as its most mellow, ESGS 2022 is different. Our crew at What’s A Geek! got a dose of comeback energy as ESGS 2022 remains packed with intense activities for its final day. Con-goers who missed out on today’s festivities or fans who want to reminisce this early can look at a quick recap of Day 3’s festivities: 

More Straightforward, Less Hardcore For Gamers

One of the more noticeable things with this year’s ESGS is a lack of manufacturers and brands geared towards the more “hardcore” gaming market – these include providers of more technical gaming components such as GPUs, disk drives, and other materials often associated with the more technically-nuanced builders of the community.

This isn’t to the disadvantage of ESGS 2022, however, as this cemented this year’s focus on “rebuilding” appeal to the tech convention scene than to straight-up cater to niche masses. In turn, fans have seen more accessible means of customizing and personalizing their experiences – mechanical keyboards, colorful yet practical peripherals, and even straight-up quality-of-life materials such as chairs and the like. This more straightforward focus is a breath of fresh air for newcomers just now getting into the tech scene, and a good jumping-off point for more niche things in the future.

It’s Cosplay Galore

Of the days in the weekend-spanning convention, it’s perhaps the third day that became a highlight for art and costume lovers, particularly for the emphasis in cosplay. This is perhaps due to ESGS 2022 Day 3 that served as the day of the ESGS 2022 Cosplay Competition awards ceremony, inviting some of the most popular cosplayers and aspiring cosplay champions to grace the ESGS stage. In turn, Day 3 held quite a refreshing sight to see – con-goers and participants in full cosplay garb, toting in particular giant weapons and accessories with full lighting. Fans got a taste of the same level of cosplay love throughout the first two days, and it’s thanks to the existence of certain booths in the merchant area that cosplayers got rather visually-accurate weapons, while simpler clothing such as jackets and hats and accessories paved the way for the regular con-goer’s casual cosplay. 

See The Experience Anytime, Anywhere

Anyone who hasn’t been able to grace ESGS 2022 with their presence wouldn’t fret over missing out on its biggest events, especially since most of the events on-site were broadcasted live on the ESGS Facebook page. This is perhaps the first time in ESGS history that livestreams of main events were given priority in a post-pandemic physical convention, with streams of games running simultaneously with the main event.

While con-goers could go back to these streams to recapture surprising moments or catch matches they’ve missed, its main appeal is for absentees to the convention who want to see their favorite teams and players in action. Today’s main events were streamed live, from the ESGS Cosplay Competition and awards ceremony, Globe-sponsored Astra Arena matches, REV Major-supported Fighting Game Arena competitions, and show matches from brands such as Acer, Riot, and JBL Quantum. 

A Successful Comeback Into The Convention Scene

True to its intended goal, ESGS 2022 makes a full return to form in its slate of weekend entertainment, ranging from fan-favorite activities such as tournaments and good deals as well as new gimmicks such as watch parties and mini-tournaments in stages of various exhibitors. And while indeed missing out on some “hardcore” gaming offerings such as hardware parts and more specific gears such as GPUs, the “back to basics” approach of ESGS 2022 proved to be quite alluring to hardcore gamers who want to unwind, gaming friends who want to have fun with their favorite games, and especially more so to newcomers attending their first gaming convention. 

The E-Sports  & Gaming Summit (ESGS) 2022 was held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City on October 28 to October 30, 2022.