MIHAJA
A word from the president of the Malta Esports Association
We had a chance to speak with Michele Magro, President of the Malta Esports Association (MESA). While he wouldn’t give us any hints about next year’s ceremony yet, Michele highlighted the other plans MESA has ongoing. The President highlighted that as an organisation, MESA wishes to be able to give the help local communities need to keep doing what they are doing so they don’t have to worry as much about resources and can focus on community building. Michele also highlighted the policies MESA are issuing, like the Tournament Sanctioning Policy, with the intention of elevating esports in Malta.
It’s been a long dream of mine to have these awards so to finally make it happen and to finally see the recognition to Malta’s top talent, it’s a dream come true really.
Michele’s thoughts on the first edition of the Malta Esports Awards.
Rookie of the Year
Rookie of the Year went to Andrea “Drakur” Vella, whose debut season in League of Legends was nothing short of outstanding. Alongside his teammates, we also managed to get a few words from Andrea at the ceremony.
I’m very happy to be able to prove my worth
Snippet from Andrea’s acceptance speech.
I’m very excited to keep on playing. I’d like to see more players though, more new players.
Andrea’s final thoughts going forward.
Female Player of the Year
The Female Player of the Year award was claimed by Rachel “Raeychii” Azzopardi, whose commitment and growth within the Tekken scene is breaking barriers for all female players on the island.
I would like to help grow the Tekken community, I would also like to improve. Being one of the female players, I would like to also be good at Tekken, better at least and yeah hopefully I will get to the top ten at least of Tekken and continue to help the community the best I can…
Rachel on what’s next for her after winning this award.
If you like Tekken, don’t be hesitant because you are female, just go for it. The community is very very welcoming
Part of Rachel’s closing comments from our interview.
RPG Player of the Year
In the RPG category, Naim “NerfGanon” Spiteri emerged victorious. His performances in international Pokémon VGC tournaments set him apart, with consistently high placements proving his skill and deep game knowledge.
It feels really great to win this award because finally, I was able to put it together at a regional event and make day two and I was super super happy with both my wins and losses.
A snippet from Naim’s acceptance speech.
I think it’s a really good initiative because you’re showing support to all the players even those of games that are perhaps a bit lesser known or in their own niches…
Naim on what the Maltese Esports Awards mean for the community.
MOBA Player of the Year
As captain of the team that dominated League of Legends in Malta last year, Luca “Aiglos” Vella earned the title of MOBA Player of the Year. His strategic calls and mechanical precision were instrumental in Eversio’s tournament successes, rightfully earning him the award.
I’d like to thank my teammates. Without them, I wouldn’t be here for sure. We had a very strong year.
Snippet of Luca’s acceptance speech.
In all honesty, it depends on what’s next for League (of Legends) in Malta. When there’s an event we’ll enter, for sure.
Luca on what’s next for Project Eversio’s League of Legends team
Sim Racing Driver of the Year
The Sim Racer of the Year award went to Dean Vella, whose consistent performances in high-level competitions both locally and internationally have made him a standout in the Maltese sim-racing community.
I’d like to thank my teammates, first off, Sheldon and Aaron. Justin and Adrian since they were with me at the start of my career in sim racing and also the organisations World Pro Racing and Velocity Esports Racing for the events they make so that we can compete locally.
Dean Vella’s acceptance speech.
Sports Simulation Player of the Year
With his continued dominance in Malta, Shaun “Brandsha” Galea took home the Sports Simulation Player of the Year award. With back-to-back victories in the Malta ePremier League and international appearances, his ability to perform under pressure has set him apart from the competition.
I think it’s a good thing that events like this happen so that even as players we keep pushing and become more involved in the esports sector.
Shaun on what the esports awards mean for the local scene.
Fighting Game Player of the Year
A household name in the Maltese Tekken scene, Lyon “Lyonidas” Buhagiar took home the Fighting Game Player of the Year award. With years of experience and countless international events under his belt, his performances throughout 2024 reaffirmed his position as Malta’s most decorated fighting game competitor.
I feel like it’s a very prestigious award. I feel like all the work I have been doing in the past years has finally led up to being recognised by a body of esports in Malta so it feels really good…
Lyon’s thoughts on winning Fighting Game Player of the Year.
Keep up the good work, I hope to see you nominated one day here and even maybe win against me.
Lyon’s closing statement to asping players and fans at home.
Shooter Player of the Year
The milestones Simon “SXJ” Debono achieved in Overwatch earned him the Shooter Player of the Year award. Simon’s success at the highest levels of competition showcases his individual skill and strong team coordination.
While competing you have to grind hard. You have to put in the hours, like with any other sport, I’m sure you’ve heard this multiple times. But yeah it’s just mainly the hours and the dedication to actually stick to it and see the result pay off.
Simon on the biggest challenge of competing in Overwatch.
I want to compete at the best LANs in the world.
Simon on what he wants to do next after winning this award.
Esports Team of the Year
With a dominant display throughout 2024, the Project Eversio League of Legends team was crowned Team of the Year. With multiple tournament wins and a strong international presence, the team has proven to be a powerhouse in Maltese esports.
I think we got to where we got because we always play for each other. It’s not the first time we lost a tournament but we always continue pressing on to see what we did wrong and I’m really proud to have teammates that are really ready to play for each other…
A snippet of Samuel “Brikkun” Scicluna’s acceptance speech on behalf of Project Eversio’s League of Legends Team.
Outstanding Contribution to Maltese Esports
A special moment of the night was the Outstanding Contribution to Maltese Esports award! The award was won by none other than one of our very own writers Zelli0n! His tireless efforts in organizing tournaments, supporting multiple local scenes, and fostering passionate communities rightfully earned him the award.
The biggest challenge is the patience you need to have to keep organising (events), to keep motivating people to compete.
Nathan on what his biggest challenge is in fostering communities.
Alongside me, there are a lot of people who also really deserve this award and I want to encourage people who maybe are not in the esports scene as such, or maybe they are, to give more involvement in our scene because the six people on the list for Outstanding Contribution really do a lot, and there are very few who do it.
Closing statements from Nathan after winning the award.
Esports Player of the Year
Finally, the most prestigious award of the night, Esports Player of the Year, was awarded to Mateja “Qpert” Mijovic. Competing at a professional level in Valorant for several years, he has constantly played on the largest international stages. Playing at this level while also winning events, Qpert has proven himself as one of the country’s finest players.
I’m really thankful to be considered a part of this community and I’m really thankful to represent Malta on an international stage.
A snippet of Mateja’s acceptance speech.
I’m hoping these awards can encourage the good players to keep playing and try to make it into a career.
Mateja on what these awards mean for the local esports scene.
Closing Thoughts
The first edition of the Malta Esports Awards has come to an end. It was a great event, serving as a testament to the immense talent and dedication within Malta’s esports scene. As the industry continues to grow locally, tonight’s winners have set the benchmark for future competitors to aspire to. Congratulations once again to all the winners!
Christian Camilleri
Zelli0n
