LEVEL UP KL has been a hallmark event for the Malaysian Gaming Industry since the conference ballooned into a regional event almost a decade ago. The regional conference brings together gamers, developers and publishers under one roof for a week on a yearly basis. This year, the conference returns to form with its first physical conference held from the 4th until the 7th of October 2022.
This year’s edition of LEVEL UP KL saw over 1,500 participants, 80 speakers and over 100 exhibitors from all around the world. The conference also saw the participation of developers such as Streamline Studios, Metronomik, Larian Studios, Bandai Namco and PlayStation Studios. The conference saw these studios, among others, sharing their approaches to developing industry-leading games and the techniques they used behind the scenes.
Additionally, LEVEL UP KL was, once again, ground zero for the SEA Game Jam and SEA Game Awards. The former saw young, aspiring gamers put their mettle to the test in an arduous competition to build a game in a mere 48 hours. These aspiring developers had their hard work shown off at the exhibition in LEVEL UP KL 2022 among the many industry leaders present there.
The SEA Games Awards also crowned winners in multiple categories highlighting the talent and capabilities of developers in the region. This year’s nominees and winners raised the bar in each category with many of them achieving commercial game standards. The winners are listed below:
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Best Technology | Determinant by Khor Chin Heong [Malaysia] |
| Best Visual Arts | Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly by Toge Productions [Indonesia] |
| Best Game Design | Cuisineer by BattleBrew Productions [Singapore] |
| Best Audio | Rhythm Doctor by 7th Beat Games [Malaysia] |
| Best Storytelling | Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly by Toge Productions [Indonesia] |
| Best Innovation | Rhythm Doctor by 7th Beat Games [Malaysia] |
| Best Student Game | End of the Line by University of Wollongong Malaysia, KDU [Malaysia] |
| Best International Game | The Legend of Tianding by CGCG [Taiwan] |
| Rising Star | Faerie Afterlight by Clay Game Studio [Indonesia] |
| Grand Jury Award | Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly by Toge Productions [Indonesia] |
| Sponsored Award | Endura by IFIO Studio [Malaysia] |
| Audience Choice Award | Postknight 2 by Kurechii [Malaysia] |
MDEC Forges Key Partnerships at LEVEL UP KL 2022
Amidst the furore and celebration of LEVEL UP KL 2022, the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) also announced the forging of new partnerships which are geared toward positioning Malaysia as the regional game development hub. These partnerships not only forge open markets between Malaysia and other game development industries worldwide but also mark MDEC’s first steps into exploring the viability of the Metaverse in the Malaysian Gaming Industry.
MDEC signed a partnership memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Nine66, a gaming company based in Saudi Arabia to explore and promote collaboration between the gaming industry in both countries. The MoU covers areas such as talent development and co-development.
Aside from Nine66, MDEC also signed an MoU with SEA Gamer Mall (SEAGM) to launch the Malaysia Game Fest (MGF). The Malaysia Game Fest will span a period of three months starting in October 2022 until December 2022. During this period, MDEC will be driving efforts with SEAGM to promote local game products and increase the commercialisation of Intellectual Properties (IPs) across Southeast Asian platform partners.
Finally, MDEC signed an MoU with Magnus Games Studio, a home-grown game studio to promote initiatives and projects involving the “Metaverse”. In this agreement, MDEC will be leveraging Magnus Games’ Metaverse to market and promote the upcoming Malaysia Digital Content Festival 2022 which will be happening on the 17th and 18th of December 2022 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.