Thai R&B Artist D Gerrard Wows Fans at ESPL & Warner Music’s  MuGa Arena

Lotty Dotty | Thai R&B Artist D Gerrard Wows Fans at ESPL & Warner Music’s  MuGa Arena | 28 March 2023 – Esports Players League (ESPL) and Warner Music Thailand are pleased to  share that the inaugural Music Gaming (MuGa) Arena Online Valorant Tournament, jointly  hosted with Thai R&B singer & songwriter D Gerrard, has ended on a high note. The  tournament concluded with an exclusive meet-and-greet event that has enabled players from  the top 8 teams to meet with the artist. 

MuGa Arena is a partnership between ESPL and Warner Music Thailand to produce  engagement between music artists and music fans. The MuGa Arena Online Valorant  Tournament with D Gerrard marks the first step of what would hopefully be the start of a new  fan engagement experience where gaming meets music. MuGa Arena tournaments largely  take place online, and will allow fans to go from consuming their favourite artists’ music and  gaming content, to being a part of their gaming experience. 

MuGa Arena Online Valorant Tournament 

The MuGa Arena Online Valorant Tournament was launched in October 2022 to bring D  Gerrard closer to his fans, creating authentic engagement combined with the power of esports.  It featured a thrilling online Valorant tournament with 16 teams of 5, all battling to win exclusive  merchandise, D Gerrard autographed memorabilia, and the opportunity to meet with the artist.  

The tournament began its elimination rounds on the 7th and 8th of January 2023, before  concluding on 25th February 2023 during the final showdown. Team Old Bois Club came out  victorious against Team No Need Lineup and won the chance to play the ultimate showmatch  with D Gerrard and his all-star team virtually on the same day.  

D Gerrard Meet-and-Greet 

D Gerrard, whose videos have gained over 500 million views on YouTube, made a live  appearance at Warner Music Thailand headquarters to celebrate the conclusion of MuGa  Arena’s first-ever tournament and to meet players from the top 8 teams. D Gerrard staged a  live acoustic performance of hit songs – “Galaxy”, “Luxury”, and “Isekai”. His new song,  currently untitled, was given an exclusive preview to fans during the meet-and-greet, as the  unreleased track charted the artist’s history and passion for video games. 

During a fan Q&A session, D Gerrard was asked on the similarities between music and gaming  and what drew him to be the first MuGa Arena featured artist, to which he answered, “Cause  they both are everywhere and both have a huge influence on my life!” 

“Working with ESPL to bring MUGA to life has been a rewarding and educational experience.  Being in the music business it’s refreshing to see what experts in other related fields are doing,  and ESPL’s knowledge and experience in gaming and running tournaments brought MUGA  to another level. It was a great joy to see D Gerrard enjoy his passion for music and gaming  in the same event,” says Rafiq Ridzwan, Head of Domestic Marketing at Warner Music  Thailand. 

D Gerrard was joined by Ivy Fung, General Manager at ESPL in the prize giving ceremony to  officially present tournament players with prizes consisting of D Gerrard-autographed baseball  caps, ESPL merchandise and gaming peripherals. 

Synergistic Opportunities 

Earlier last year, Deloitte shared that an increasing number of younger gamers are finding  music to be a big part of their gaming experience.¹ Deloitte’s Digital Media Trends fall pulse  survey pointed out 42% of Gen Z gamers reported that they “listen to other music while  gaming”, and 34% “hear music in a game and then look it up online to stream or buy”. Further  data revealed a strong relationship between Gen Z gamers and the music that they experience  while gaming. This suggests opportunities for enhanced engagement through stronger  partnerships between music and gaming companies, and for more seamless integration  between their products.

¹ Deloitte Insights. (2022). Gaming and music: A better experience | Deloitte Insights 

“ESPL is very excited and pleased to be able to work with Warner Music Thailand and D  Gerrard to bring music and gaming together for the communities involved. We are looking  forward to more future collaborations to deliver this immersive experience to artists, fans,  gamers and the masses alike,” said Fung. 

For more information on ESPL and its tournaments, follow ESPL on Twitter at  https://twitter.com/ESPL_GLOBAL or visit https://espl.gg/.  

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About Esports Players League 

Founded in 2019, the Esports Players League (ESPL) is a global esports tournament and  platform provider developing an integrated and open ecosystem for tournaments, focusing on  the grassroots gamer community and digital interactivity. The platform runs on a hybrid online  and on-ground model and has a foothold in 16 countries across Asia, Europe and the  Americas. 

About Warner Music Thailand 

D Gerrard is signed to Wayfer Records – a label under Warner Music Thailand, a music powerhouse and platform for emerging artists globally with a roster including Patrickananda,  Jeff Satur, Pu Pongsit and Carabao, just to name a few. They have been in the Thai market  for almost 30 years and are always on the lookout to harness new emerging talent, as well as  to continue growing their current artists. 

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