On the morning of 28/11, the Vietnam Audition Esports team debuted, comprising athletes Le Thi Hoai Phuong, Le Ngoc Truong Giang, Roan Cong Thanh, To Y Linh, Nguyen Van Huy, and Nguyen Hong Ngoc. The team is set to compete in SEA Games 33, held in Thailand from 9-20/12. This marks the first time Audition has been included in the SEA Games, appearing as a demonstration event.

The Vietnam Audition Esports team participating in SEA Games 33. Photo: Dieu Hang

At SEA Games 33, Audition will feature three competitive categories: men's individual, women's individual, and mixed team. Vietnam's opponents will come from host nation Thailand, Laos, and the Philippines. The Audition competitions themselves are scheduled from 10-12/12 in Bangkok.

The selection process for the national team began earlier this year. In late October, the Audition Vietnam Championship (ACV) 2025 identified Truong Giang as the first athlete to secure a spot representing Vietnam at SEA Games 33. The ACV 2025 champion is a familiar face within the Audition community, known for his consistent performance and sound strategy.

Audition, a rhythm dance game, is produced by T3 Entertainment (South Korea) and published in Vietnam by VTC Game, a member of VTC Intecom. Players use the keyboard to input complex arrow command sequences, corresponding to character dance moves on screen. To reach professional competitive levels, athletes must possess fast reflexes, strong command memorization, and a refined sense of rhythm. The game is considered a nostalgic part of many 8x and 9x generations in Vietnam, associated with youth music, fashion, and pop culture.

The inclusion of a game like Audition in a regional sports arena is seen as a new direction, leveraging the "soft power" of digital culture. Within the framework of this edition of SEA Games, demonstration sports are included to promote, introduce, and assess their potential before possibly becoming official medal events in future SEA Games.

Electronic sports (Esports) events in general within SEA Games 33 are scheduled from 13-19/12. Esports was first introduced at the SEA Games in 2019 in the Philippines. That country also led in gold medals for the sport, with seven. The two countries ranking second, Indonesia and Vietnam, each secured five gold medals. At SEA Games 31, held on home soil, the Vietnam Esports team topped the medal count with four gold medals.

Bao Lam