We caught up with ESL FACEIT Group's Sam Braithwaite to discuss the rapid rise of the Snapdragon Pro Series, the importance of global partnerships, and how mobile esports is shaping the future of gaming.
Mobile esports has seen a meteoric rise in recent years. Thanks to its ease of accessibility, anyone with a mobile phone and a passion for a game can easily enter a qualification tournament and make their way to the top stage of an esports competition. It's factors such as this and a desire from a growing community of players to see bigger, better, and more inclusive events that have ultimately contributed to mobile esports' surge in popularity and relevancy.
The most recognizable name in this scene is the Snapdragon Pro Series, a multi-genre mobile esports competition with tournaments held all around the world. Helmed by ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), an organization that's no stranger to creating large-scale events, this competition aims to give fans what they want. They continue to expand on its events and have even partnered with flagship esports tournaments such as Activision's Call of Duty: Mobile World Championship and Supercell's Brawl Stars Championship.
We had the opportunity to interview a key figure behind the Snapdragon Pro Series, Sam Braithwaite, who is the VP of Game Ecosystems Mobile at EFG. He shares his thoughts on how the competition and mobile esports will evolve in the coming months and years. From partnerships to overall player experience, it's evident that there is a clear vision for the Snapdragon Pro Series.
MobileMatters: First off, the Snapdragon Pro Series is currently in its third year and has seen incredible growth over a short period of time. What do you think are the biggest factors driving this growth?
Sam Braithwaite: The growth of the Snapdragon Pro Series is a testament to not only our team’s tireless work but the surging global appetite for mobile esports. We knew when we built the SPS that mobile esports was a vastly underserved market, and through our partnership with Qualcomm, we met that need for players of all skill levels in more than 70 countries and six regions around the world. Our circuit brings seven of the world’s most popular mobile titles together, and we’re continuing to bring the most popular mobile games under one roof to grow, connect, and celebrate the mobile gaming community.
Additionally, through the work mentioned above, we’ve established multi-year partnerships operating some of the largest esports on the market such as Brawl Stars, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. These partnerships have been the backbone of the continued growth of the Snapdragon Pro Series and further solidify our position as the premier mobile esports circuit.
MobileMatters: As EFG has a long and storied history in the world of esports, what sets mobile esports apart from traditional PC or console esports in terms of player accessibility and global reach?
Sam Braithwaite: Mobile is the world’s most accessible gaming platform in the world, with over 3 billion gamers worldwide. Between the increasing power of mobile devices – such as the Snapdragon-powered handheld hardware we use for in-person events – and growing access to 5G connectivity, esports pros can compete from anywhere in the world. And because so many people have high-powered phones in their pockets already, the barrier for entry is lower than ever before.
MobileMatters: One of the notable aspects of the Snapdragon Pro Series' roadmap heading into Year 3 was EFG's partnerships with publishers such as Activision, Supercell, and Moonton Games. How valuable are partnerships like this for the Snapdragon Pro Series?
Sam Braithwaite: Operating global esports ecosystems is a huge task requiring staff across player management, tournament operations, production, and much more. Our partnerships with publishers let them focus on creating the best games possible for their fans, while we provide our global network of resources to offer premier esports competition to players around the world. The benefit for us is being able to bring these great games to our competitors and fans, and we’re excited about being able to build long-term relationships with these partners to continue growing mobile esports.
MobileMatters: Continuing on the topic of partnerships, is there any desire from EFG to partner with more grassroot level competitions?
Sam Braithwaite: The Snapdragon Pro Series has always been structured to encourage competition at all levels of play, from Mobile Challenge representing the peak of a games’ talent, to Mobile Open offering structured, friendly play for players of all skill levels. This framework not only supports grassroots play but creates pipelines for any aspiring competitor to qualify for regional and international competitions.
We’re always looking for more ways to reach players, and that means continuing to explore partnerships that support grassroots play for all of our games.
MobileMatters: In past roadmaps - as well as the current one - set for the Snapdragon Pro Series, you have chosen to focus on a small set of games. Do you wish to expand on this number of games or do you subscribe to the belief of quality over quantity on this matter?
Sam Braithwaite: Our current roster of titles represents the world’s most popular mobile games, and that has given us the opportunity to engage millions of players from around the globe. While we’re thrilled with our current lineup, we’re always on the lookout for the next big mobile title to continue to expand the mobile gaming communities we can reach.
MobileMatters: EFG has made it clear it strives for diversity and inclusion when it comes to making tournaments in the Snapdragon Pro Series accessible to all. A recent standout initiative was the online tournament that invited top women players from Southeast Asia for a chance to qualify for the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) Women’s Invitational at the Esports World Cup. Can you share any plans you might have for increasing women participation in mobile esports?
Sam Braithwaite: Our women’s MLBB tournament was our first event open exclusively to women in an effort to provide more safe, inclusive spaces for them to compete. We saw strong interest from competitors and fans, and it was incredibly rewarding to see top teams make it to the Women’s Invitational at the Esports World Cup. We’re always looking for more ways to offer similar opportunities to our competitors, and we’re excited to see what comes in Year 4.
MobileMatters: I had the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at the setup for the recent Snapdragon Mobile Challenge Finals for MLBB in Kuala Lumpur. There was an impressive collaboration between the production team and advanced technology to help deliver a great experience for both the in-person and livestream viewers. How has EFG tried to improve the audience experience over the years? Are there any aspects in particular that you'd like to improve on?
Sam Braithwaite: We saw over 65,000 fans attend our Mobile Challenge Finals in Kuala Lumpur in person this year. That’s a staggering figure for any esport, and a testament to the appetite for live, premier mobile esports experiences. It’s also a nod to our fan-first approach at live events. We work closely with our partners to turn our events into mobile esports wonderlands, with opportunities to make custom jerseys in partnership with Qualcomm, ways to earn merch with DHL, and chances to connect with pro players, casters, creators, and the broader mobile esports community.
As we look towards our future events, our sights are set on finding more ways to help our fans feel a deeper connection to mobile esports – whether it be more ways to meet their peers in person, making it easier to share clips with friends online, or bringing live events to new markets.
MobileMatters: Finally, with the increasing popularity of mobile esports, what do you envision for the Snapdragon Pro Series and its role in shaping the competitive scene over the next few years?
Sam Braithwaite: Mobile esports is here to stay, and it’s going to continue to play a larger role in how broader gaming audiences experience esports overall. The Snapdragon Pro Series has been a leader in reaching and engaging mobile gamers since its inception, and we’re going to continue driving innovation and growth in mobile competition. Broadly, that means working with more titles, reaching more fans, and making mobile esports even more accessible than ever before. I can’t share much more than that, but Year 4 is going to be special.
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For more information on the Snapdragon Pro Series, visit the official website, and follow the league on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and TikTok.
MobileMatters is in partnership with ESL FACEIT Group, the tournament organizers behind the Snapdragon Pro Series.