MIHAJA
The Nomination Process
When the awards were unveiled in December last year, the Maltese Esports Association made a public call for nominees. The general public was then allowed to submit their nominations for each category until the end of the month. Public nominations were officially closed on 31st December 2024 and a shortlist of nominees was drafted for each category. The winners for each category will now be unveiled live during the awards ceremony on the 7th of February.
Outstanding Contribution to Maltese Esports
This award honours those individuals who pour their blood, sweat and tears into the local scene and have impacted the growth and development of esports in Malta. Whether through organising events or fostering a community for their game/s of choice, these nominees have all played a vital role in advancing the local scene.
Joseph “AddictTekken” Facciol
As the username might imply, Joseph “AddictTekken” Facciol has been a pivotal figure in the Maltese Tekken community for many many years. As a coach and also a tournament organiser, organising a jaw-dropping 24 events just last year, Facciol’s tireless commitment to nurturing talent and giving the community events to participate in has led to Tekken forming one of the largest and most active scenes on the island.
Nathan “Zellion” Bonello
While being a key figure in several different local scenes over the years, Nathan “Zellion” Bonello is best known for his undying commitment and passion towards Counter-Strike. As a founder of the Malta Counter-Strike League in early 2023, he would go on to help organise thirteen different Counter-Strike events, from one-day tournaments to months-long leagues. Bonello’s most recent endeavour, the Il-Kazin discord has also seen great success. Serving as a casual hub for Maltese esports enthusiasts and gamers, the discord has quickly amassed over 200 members and is actively organising game nights and real-life meetups.
Kevin “bongoman” Spiteri
As the co-founder and head of Level Academy, Kevin “bongoman” Spiteri plays a key role in supporting and keeping Malta’s various esports scenes alive. Through Level Academy, Spiteri contributes enormously to Maltese esports, not only by organising events but also by providing venues and equipment to different communities. Apart from tournaments, Level Academy is also Malta’s first esports training academy. Through different initiatives and courses, the Academy has also begun to incorporate esports into educational institutes like St Joseph School in Paola.
Mario Bellizzi
The current president of Velocity Esports Racing, Mario Bellizzi has transformed the organisation into a key pillar of sim-racing in Malta. Through several premium events, both locally and internationally, Bellizzi has been working tirelessly for the last five years to foster a world-class sim-racing community in Malta. With extensive coverage and top-notch quality, Velocity Esports Racing has helped to make sim-racing one of Malta’s most successful esports ventures!
Kersten James “Nekklo” Chircop
A pioneer in bringing premium esports events to the island, Kersten James “Nekklo” Chircop has been pivotal in the growth that esports has seen in Malta. Chircop has been an instrumental figure in organising many of the leading esports events in Malta. These events include Playcon, the Malta ePremier League and the Malta Cyber Series. Helping to establish Malta as a global player in hosting esports events, Chircop’s efforts have been pivotal to the continuous growth of esports in Malta.
Janssen “Yansin” Laferla
As the mastermind behind League of Malta Discord, Janseen “Yansin” Laferla has been credited with revitalising and unifying the League of Legends community in Malta. In 2024, Laferla was the driving force behind several of the largest LOL events in Malta, culminating in the LOL Championship Malta, a massive tournament featuring fourteen different teams. Laferla has not only given the community events to participate in but also assembled a team of casters, designers and community managers, giving the local LOL scene the best possible coverage.
Esports Team of The Year
Awarded to the best Maltese esports team across any game title, this category will be awarded to the roster that has excelled in competition, demonstrated teamwork and innovation, and worked to represent the local esports scene internationally.
Project Eversio – League of Legends
With all five players of the roster being nominated for MOBA Player of the Year, it’s no surprise that the Project Eversio League of Legends team would also be nominated for Team of the Year. With 4 tournament finals and 3 tournament victories in 2024, Eversio’s LoL team dominated the local scene. The team also made waves internationally, starting in the Open Qualifiers of the UK Esports League Division 2 and battling all the way to playoffs.
Team Malta – FIFA eNations Series 2023
While taking place a couple of years ago now, the achievement of the Maltese team at the FIFA eNations Series in 2023 cannot be overlooked or understated. Across three weeks of matches, team Malta would end 3rd overall in Conference 2, earning them qualification to the Online Qualifiers. In the next stage, Malta would finish their group in 3rd place out of eight teams with victories over nations like Slovakia and Scotland. In the bracket stage team Malta would unfortunately be eliminated just one match away from playoffs. Despite the elimination, this was still an incredible result on the world stage for our nation!
Intercomp VMD Simsport
Having just formed in mid-2024, Intercomp VMD Simsport has hit the ground running. Their drivers have already collected a large amount of tournament victories locally and have had impressive displays abroad. With top competitors like Dean Vella and Sheldon Scott Muscat, who have also both been nominated for Sim-racing Driver of the Year, it’s no surprise to see Intercomp VMD Simsport nominated for this award!
Project Eversio – Rocket League
The undisputed champions of Rocket League locally, Project Eversio’s RL roster has been the dominant force in Malta for the past five years. Since 2019, the team has won an astonishing ten tournaments with their most recent victory coming at Playcon last October. While not active internationally, their local dominance is a feat unlikely to ever be matched!
Velocity Esports Racing
While no longer fielding an active racing team, Velocity Esports Racing has transformed into one of the most prevalent sim-racing event organisers on the island. With drivers previously competing in F1 and Gran Turismo both locally and internationally, Velocity Esports Racing now focus on fostering the grassroots community in Malta and providing a home for all sim-racers across the island!
Conclusion
The Maltese Esports Awards celebrate the dedication and passion of individuals and teams who have driven the growth of esports in Malta. From committed community leaders to top-performing teams, the nominees have played a crucial role in shaping the local esports landscape. With the winners set to be just a couple of days away on February 7th, the event will be a testament to Malta’s thriving esports scene and its promising future.
Zelli0n
