The awards wouldn’t be possible without the support of the GamingMalta Foundation as the Main Sponsor, as well as Pepsi, Kia, GMR, JACAP and Crew.
The inaugural Malta Esports Awards were held last Friday, celebrating the passion, dedication, and talent within the Maltese esports community.
The awards recognized the achievements of players, teams, and individuals who have made significant contributions to the growth and development of esports in the country.
The awards featured 11 categories, with the first phase of the process taking place across December 2024 was nominations from the general public. In total, we received 533 nominations from the public with 96 unique competitors, teams and community leaders put forward for the coveted awards.
The second phase of the process involved 9 judges chosen for their expertise, experience and lack of bias. The 9 expert judges were tasked with creating a shortlist of not more than six nominees per category. The last phase included the 9 judges voting on their preferred candidates from the shortlist.
The winners were unveiled live during an exclusive awards ceremony held at Cavalieri Art Hotel on Friday 7th February, hosted by the brilliant SandMax & Kevin Spiteri.
The Malta Esports Awards marked a significant milestone for esports in Malta, highlighting the progress and potential of the industry.Overall, the Malta Esports Awards were a successful celebration of the Maltese esports community, recognizing the achievements of its members and paving the way for future growth and development.
Here’s a round-up of the winners!
Rookie Player of the Year
This award recognizes rising stars in Maltese esports— competitors under the age of 21 who have made a strong impact in their first year of competitive play.
Winner: Andrea “Drakur” Vella.
At just 18 years old, Andrea has already established himself as a dominant force in League of Legends, helping Project Eversio secure three out of four local tournament victories in 2024. His talent earned him a place in the UK Esports League Division 2, where his team placed fourth—a huge achievement for a rising star.
Female Player of the Year
This award recognizes female competitors who have made an impact in their respective games, through their performances in tournaments and the contributions to their communities.
Winner: Rachel “Raeychii” Azzopardi
A cosplayer and an active competitor in the local Tekken scene. Since 2024, she has been consistently competing in Tekken City Casuals events, showing remarkable improvement with every match and proving her dedication to the fighting game community.
RPG Player of the Year Award
This award recognizes players who compete in the most immersive and strategy-driven genres in gaming, requiring not only skill and dedication, but also deep understanding, patience and strategic thinking.
Winner: Naim “NerfGanon” Spiteri
A dedicated Pokémon VGC competitor who has represented Malta on an international level. He has traveled abroad six times over the past two years to compete in official Pokémon VGC tournaments, taking on some of the best players in the world. His greatest achievement so far has been a remarkable 27th place finish out of 478 participants at the VGC Regional Championship in Gdańsk—a feat that puts him among the top Pokémon players in Europe.
MOBA Player of the Year Award
The MOBA Player of the Year award honors the best competitors in the Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas genre of games – one of the most traditional competitive esports genres there is.
Winner: Luca “Aiglos” Vella
The Top Laner and Captain of Project Eversio’s League of Legends team. Aiglos has been the backbone of his squad, leading them to four tournament finals in Malta in 2024, where they won three out of four titles. Internationally, he guided Eversio to a 4th place finish in the UK Esports League Division 2 Playoffs, proving his leadership and consistency at a high level.
Sim-Racing Driver of the Year Award
The Sim-Racing Driver of the Year award recognizes the most outstanding sim racers — those who have dominated local competitions, made a name for themselves internationally, and pushed the limits of virtual motorsports.
Winner: Dean Vella
The 2022 and 2024 Malta National Sim Racing Champion. A dominant force in local racing, Dean has also represented Malta internationally at the FIA Motorsport Games, competing in both 2022 and 2024. Most recently, he reached the semi-finals in the 2024 edition, proving he can hold his own against some of the best in the world.
Sports Simulation Player of the Year Award
The Sports Simulation Player of the Year award honours the best competitors in games including football simulations, but also football with cars, and other traditional sports simulators.
Winner: Shaun “Brandsha” Galea
Malta’s reigning FIFA/EA Sports FC champion. Brandsha has been unstoppable, winning the Malta ePremier League back-to-back in 2023 and 2024. His success extends beyond local tournaments—he competed in the FC Pro 24 World Championship Play-In Stage and the eChampions League, where he made headlines by defeating former world champion and current Spanish champion, Nicolas99FC.
Fighting Game Player of the Year Award
The Fighting Game Player of the Year award honors the competitors who have dedicated themselves to mastering this genre, proving themselves in tournaments both locally and internationally.
Winner: Lyon “Lyonidas” Buhagiar
Tekken player for Project Eversio and one of Malta’s most internationally recognized fighting game competitors. He has represented the Maltese National Team twice, in 2021 and 2023, and holds the record for the most foreign tournaments attended—30 in total. His 2024 season was phenomenal: he won the MESA National Circuit, became the first-ever National Cup champion at Playcon, and achieved commendable placements abroad, including 2nd place at LOK Dojo in Athens and 5th in the European Tekken Cup – Italy & Malta Rankings. On the global stage, he placed 193rd in the Tekken World Tour 2024 rankings, a huge milestone for Maltese Tekken.
Shooter Player of the Year Award
The shooter genre has long been one of the most competitive in esports, demanding pinpoint accuracy, strategic thinking, and split-second decision-making. The Shooter Player of the Year award recognizes the best competitors across titles like Counter-Strike, Valorant, Overwatch, and Call of Duty, where our nominees have not only excelled but also made an impact on the local and international scene.
Winner: Simon “sxj” Debono
A top-tier Overwatch player for SrPeakCheck. Simon has competed at the highest level in Overwatch Champions Series, cementing his reputation as one of Europe’s best DPS players. Since 2022, he has attended at least three international LAN events per year, winning three titles and placing 2nd in another three. In 2024, he continued his dominance by winning Epic.LAN 41 in the UK, finishing 2nd in Epic.LAN 43, and helping his team, Ex-Oblivione, reach 10th place in the EU/Middle East/Africa rankings.
Team of the Year Award
The Esports Team of the Year award recognizes the rosters made up of Maltese players that have excelled in competition, demonstrated teamwork and innovation, and represented Maltese esports at the highest levels—both locally and internationally.
Winner: Project Eversio – League of Legends
A team that was an unstoppable force in the Maltese LoL scene in 2024. With all five players of the roster nominated for MOBA Player of the Year, it’s no surprise that they are in the running for Team of the Year. Competing in four tournament finals and winning three in Malta, they dominated locally. On the international stage, they started from the Open Qualifiers of the UK Esports League Division 2 and fought their way into the playoffs, placing 4th, proving that Maltese talent belongs on a bigger stage.
Outstanding Contribution to Maltese Esports Award
The Outstanding Contribution to Maltese Esports award is not about a single tournament win, a high placement on a leaderboard, or an individual performance. It is about impact—the people who have dedicated their time, energy, and passion to shaping the Maltese esports scene into what it is today.
Winner: Nathan “Zelli0n” Bonello
A Counter-Strike competitor and one of the key figures behind the Malta Counter-Strike League (MCL). Under his leadership, MCL organized 13 professionally run competitions between 2023 and 2024, featuring live streams, professional observers, casters, sponsorships, and custom-made trophies. Since the age of 17, Nathan has worked to sustain numerous esports communities, including Counter-Strike, Call of Duty, Rocket League, Valorant, Splitgate, and Marvel Rivals. Beyond tournaments, he is a content creator, tournament organizer, and esports writer, helping to grow the local scene at every level.
Esports Player of the Year Award
The Esports Player of the Year award recognizes the best of the best—the players who have not only dominated their respective games but also represented Malta at the highest levels of competition.
Winner: Mateja “Qpert” Mijovic
A Valorant player for Team Liquid Academy. Originally from Serbia but a resident of Malta for over eight years, he is Malta’s only long-term resident who is a full-time professional player. In 2024, he showcased his talents in both the German Challenger League with SK Gaming and the Turkish Challenger League with Digital Athletics. He was previously also a 6th player for Cloud9 and an analyst for Team Liquid.
