Ah, esports. Once the proud domain of teenagers shouting at their screens and accidentally pouring Mountain Dew on their keyboards. Now? It’s a billion-ringgit industry, a medal sport at the Asian Games, and a minefield of legal ambiguity that would give even Phoenix Wright a headache.

Enter the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC), who—presumably after trying to understand what a “gank” is—decided it’s high time we had a grown-up chat about the legal circus orbiting the Malaysian esports scene.

Titled “Malaysian Esports: Legal Barriers, Complexities and Opportunities”, this edition of the AIAC Evening Talk Series 2025 isn’t just a polite roundtable. It’s a reckoning. Scheduled for 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM on 17 April 2025 at the AIAC Seminar Room, this free-to-attend event promises a no-nonsense breakdown of what’s working, what’s not, and why trying to solve esports disputes without legal know-how is like drafting patch notes with crayons.

On the panel

• Richard Wee of Richard Wee Chambers will moderate. If there’s ever a man who’s tried to put rules to the lawless wild west of esports, it’s him.
• Bryan Boo of Bryan & Co., who served as the Technical Officer for esports at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Basically, if there’s a rulebook, he probably helped write it.
• Mohd Fasha Musthafa from the Malaysian Electronic Sports Federation (MESF), bringing insight from the top level of Malaysian esports governance.
• Muhammad Farouq Abdul Patah of the Malaysian Esports Players Association (MESPA), likely here to remind everyone that pro players are people, not just thumbs with a contract.

Expect talk of regulatory bottlenecks, ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) becoming the new meta for settling beefs, and the ongoing identity crisis of an industry stuck somewhere between “serious business” and “still not taken seriously enough.”

Whether you’re a legal eagle, industry insider, or just someone who’s accidentally signed a sponsorship deal in exchange for in-game currency, this is the talk for you. Even if you just want to sound smart while queuing for your next ranked match, you’ll walk away better informed.

So if you’ve got an opinion about loot boxes, contracts written on napkins, or tournament bans that make no sense, register now via the QR code link or email events@aiac.world.

Because in esports, it’s not just about the grind—it’s about who owns the controller… legally.