Malaysia Esports FPS/TPS Segment Generated USD 7.99 Million in 2024, Capturing 25.3% of Total Market
The segment is the largest and fastest-growing game category, with a projected CAGR of 24.86% through 2032.
By Aiko Tanaka·November 27, 2025·5 min readOrionmano Industries
The segment is the largest and fastest-growing game category, with a projected CAGR of 24.86% through 2032.
In 2024, Malaysia’s esports market generated USD 7.99 million from first- and third-person shooter titles, making it the largest and fastest-growing game segment. This figure accounts for approximately 25.3% of the total Malaysia esports market, valued at USD 31.55 million in 2024 (DataBridge Market Research). With a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.55% through 2032, the broader market is positioned to reach USD 171.12 million by the end of the forecast period, driven by escalating sponsorship investment, rising media-rights revenues, and sustained government backing.
Malaysia Esports Market Size and Growth
The Malaysia esports market was valued at USD 31.55 million in 2024, according to DataBridge Market Research. The market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 23.55% over the period 2024 to 2032. While other analysts offer divergent estimates—Stellar Market Research pegs the 2024 market at USD 6.86 million with a 12.6% CAGR—this analysis relies on DataBridge's more comprehensive scope, which captures PC, console, and mobile/tablet platforms alongside all major revenue streams including sponsorships, media rights, streaming, and merchandise.
The fastest-growing revenue stream during the forecast period is media rights, with a projected CAGR of 23.63% from 2024 to 2032. This reflects the increasing value broadcasters and platforms place on live esports content in Southeast Asia, where mobile-first viewership is particularly strong.
Exhibit
Malaysia Esports Market Revenue Forecast (2024-2032)
Total market projection at 23.55% CAGR, based on 2024 base of USD 31.55 million
The FPS/TPS segment generated USD 7.99 million in 2024, the highest revenue of any game segment tracked, representing roughly 25.3% of the total national esports market. FPS/TPS is also the fastest-growing game segment, with a forecast CAGR of 24.86% over the 2025–2032 period according to DataBridge Market Research. This outpaces other major categories including Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA), Player vs. Player (PvP), Real-Time Strategy (RTS), fighting games, and sports simulations.
The segment's growth is supported by the sustained popularity of titles such as Counter-Strike 2, Valorant, and Call of Duty: Warzone in Malaysia's competitive circuit, alongside mobile shooters like Free Fire which benefit from the country's high mobile-first audience. Malaysia hosted the Free Fire World Series in 2024, a global tournament featuring teams from multiple regions with a significant prize pool, underscoring the local appetite for the shooter genre.
The FPS/TPS segment's 24.86% CAGR notably exceeds the overall market's 23.55% CAGR, suggesting the category is gaining share of total esports revenue over the forecast period.
Revenue Streams Breakdown
Sponsorships and direct advertisements generated USD 19.22 million in 2024, the largest single revenue stream in the Malaysia esports market. This category includes brand partnership fees, in-event advertising, team sponsorship deals, and endemic brand activations (hardware, peripherals, energy drinks). Sponsorships alone accounted for over 60% of total market revenue in the base year.
Media rights are the fastest-growing revenue stream, with a CAGR of 23.63% through 2032. This growth trajectory reflects the increasing competition among streaming platforms and traditional broadcasters for exclusive rights to tournaments such as ESL One Kuala Lumpur, which Malaysia hosted in 2024, and the Free Fire World Series.
Other recorded revenue streams include:
Streaming (platform subscriptions, donations, and ad-sharing from services like YouTube Gaming and Twitch),
Digital (in-game purchases, battle passes, and virtual goods tied to esports events),
Tickets and merchandise (live event attendance, team-branded apparel and peripherals),
Publisher fees (revenue-sharing arrangements with game publishers for tournament licenses and official circuit participation),
Mobile and tablet platforms (aggregated from in-app spending on mobile esports titles).
The diversification of revenue streams insulates the market from over-reliance on any single source; however, sponsorships and advertisements remain the foundational pillar, particularly driven by demand from electronics, telecommunications, and fast-moving consumer goods brands targeting Malaysia's youth demographic.
Industry Dynamics and Government Support
Malaysia's emergence as a Southeast Asian esports hub is underpinned by deliberate policy intervention and event infrastructure. The government allocated RM 20 million under the 2024 Madani Budget specifically for esports development, directed toward the National E-sports Blueprint and the E-sports Integrated (ESI) initiative under the Ministry of Youth and Sports. These programs aim to build esports academies, improve tournament infrastructure, and integrate esports into the national education curriculum through the Higher Education Ministry.
In 2024, Malaysia hosted ESL One Kuala Lumpur and the Free Fire World Series, both international marquee events that attract foreign investment, tourism, and media attention. The country's status as a Dota 2 hub has been reinforced by previous PGL Kuala Lumpur Major tournaments, and Malaysian players continue to achieve at the highest level. Jianwei Yap (known as "Oli"), a Malaysian Dota 2 player, has earned over USD 2.08 million from prize pools as of 2024, the highest total among all players in Southeast Asia, according to Esports Earnings.
The Selangor Red Giants' victory at the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Southeast Asia Cup (MSC) 2024, where they became the first Malaysian team to win the tournament—taking home USD 1 million—further demonstrates the competitive depth and international recognition of the country's esports talent.
With sustained government investment, rising sponsorship and media-rights revenues, and structural support from initiatives like ESI, the Malaysia esports market—led by the FPS/TPS segment—is on track to exceed USD 170 million by 2032, reinforcing its position as a Southeast Asian esports hub.
