Tier One Entertainment’s Nexus Academia kicked off Day 1 on June 10 at SMX Convention Center Hall 1 in Manila. True to our previous article, organizers filled the opening day with fun-friendly esports showmatches, creator meet-and-greets, and a bustling expo floor featuring student- and gamer-focused booths. Day 1’s schedule featured two Honor of Kings exhibitions and one Mobile Legends: Bang Bang showdown, drawing a lively crowd.

Showmatches

To set the tone, Nexus Academia staged exhibition matches in two hugely popular mobile MOBA games. Honor of Kings (Tencent Games’ flagship MOBA) and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (Moonton’s MOBA) are among Southeast Asia’s most-played titles. In fact, HOK boasts over three million daily players, while MLBB has grown into the premier esports of the region. Day 1 featured:

• Honor of Kings – BLCK (Blacklist) HOK Team vs UST Teletigers: The first showmatch pitted Blacklist International’s HOK squad against the University of Santo Tomas Teletigers (UST’s school team). The friendly match mixed high-level plays with lighthearted moments as students rooted for the home college crew. Blacklist’s players “Juschie” and “Chammy1” led the game, but UST’s TeleTigers put up a spirited fight.
• Mobile Legends: Bang Bang – Pro Players & Creators vs Team Jollibee: The second showmatch had an “All-Star” team of pro-players and influencers take on Jollibee’s mascots. MLBB pros (some with Amplfy PH) teamed with streamers to form Team Nexus, clashing lane to lane against the mascots. Jollibee’s squad played with comic flair while the pros showed off high-level MLBB strategy. The match lasted around 20 minutes, and fans were treated to over-the-top combos and surprising sequences.
• Honor of Kings – Tencent Creators vs Team Jollibee: In another fun “content creators vs mascots” showdown, a squad of popular HoK creators (invited by Tencent PH) faced off against Team Jollibee. The match was intentionally goofy and crowd-friendly: every time a Jollibee character scored a kill, the arena erupted.

All day long, excited students cheered on the games. Organizers noted that such friendly showmatches (capped at 15–20 minutes each) were meant to inspire and entertain. As one commentator quipped, Honor of Kings is a quick-match MOBA that is perfect for this kind of expo exhibition.

Creator Moments

Besides the games themselves, fans loved the chance to meet personalities behind the players and streams. Throughout Day 1, members of the Blacklist HOK team circulated around the event floor, signing autographs and posing for photos. Attendees spotted their favorite streamer-influencers from the HoK and MLBB scenes. Moreover, AMPLFY Creators, who also performed on stage, actively mingled with students during breaks. Nexus Academia’s “epic hub of passion” vibe came alive as content creators dropped in and students got selfies and shoutouts.

Booth Highlights

Nexus Academia doubled as an anime and pop-culture festival as well. In the Ghibli Fest–themed halls, booths sold all sorts of anime merch from handmade crafts, art prints, and accessories. Organizers actively encouraged cosplay, inviting attendees to don their best costumes and walk around SMX in full cosplay. Additionally, there were numerous photo-ops, like the giant Torii-gate, to round out the cultural atmosphere.

Beyond the anime booths, the gaming area was packed with playable setups from arcade machines to play retro games on, to the latest console and PC setups to host playtests and tournaments. Tier One’s even ran a booth for a small Tekken tournament, crowning the “Day 1” Champion. Some standout booths include:

• Team Jollibee Booth: The fast-food mascot team had its own booth area with quick mini-games and mini-hoop, freebie coupons, and giveaways.
• ALTF4 (Gaming Gear & Energy Drinks): The popular local gaming brand ALTF4 had a booth offering freebies – energy drinks, stickers, and gaming gear giveaways. They also promoted meet-ups with streamers they support.
• PIXEL by Eplayment (Wearable Tech): Pixel Eyewear’s booth showcased new smart glasses and gaming accessories. They held a raffle and had a live demonstration of motion-controlled gameplay.
• 51Talk (English/Tech Sponsor): The language-learning sponsor ran an interactive booth aimed at students, with mini language challenges and prizes. While not strictly a “gaming” brand, 51Talk’s presence was noted by attendees because of the tie-in to student life.

While we’ve highlighted some of the standout booths from Day 1, Nexus Academia is brimming with even more hidden gems waiting to be discovered. From indie creators and niche communities to surprise pop-ups and interactive experiences, there’s a lot we haven’t covered here — and for good reason. Part of the excitement is in the exploration.

Get Ready for Day 2

If you’re heading to Day 2, we highly recommend taking time to wander the venue, interact with booth representatives, and maybe stumble upon something unexpected. Whether you’re into gaming, anime, tech, or just here for the vibes, there’s something waiting for you around every corner. Visit Nexus Academia‘s official website to find out more.

To keep up on news and updates, visit Tier One Entertainment’s official website or follow them on their social media: Facebook, X(Twitter), Instagram, Tiktok.