Festival Komuniti HAVOC 2026 Recap: Esports at Likas
19 July 2026 · 5 min read · by AKG Esports
Festival Komuniti HAVOC 2026 was a community festival at Kompleks Sukan Likas, Kota Kinabalu, on 19 July 2026. The festival had a Mobile Legends (MLBB) tournament and an eFootball tournament. AKG Esports (Aneekey Gaming) ran sim racing as the side game, and our team was there until 2:00 AM, getting ready for the World Cup Final.
This recap is based on what we posted from the venue that day.
What happened at Festival Komuniti HAVOC 2026?
HAVOC 2026 brought esports, food and community activities together at Kompleks Sukan Likas (Likas Stadium). The festival ran into the night under the covered courts, with food stalls all around.
The esports line-up had three parts:
- An MLBB tournament. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, the mobile game that fills halls across Sabah.
- An eFootball tournament. Matches ran on big screens at the edge of the court, so passers-by could stop and watch.
- Sim racing as a side game, run by AKG Esports. Two sim racing rigs, open to anyone who wanted a go.
We were back at Kompleks Sukan Likas about a month after we ran Perpaduan e-Racing 2026 at Sambutan Minggu Perpaduan there in June.
What is a side game, and why does it matter?
A tournament is built for players. Most people at a festival are not players. They are friends, parents, kids and people who came for the food.
A side game is for them. It runs next to the main tournaments and needs no team, no registration and no skill. You walk up, sit down and play.
Sim racing is a strong side game for three reasons:
- It is easy to understand. A steering wheel, pedals and a screen. No one needs a tutorial to know what to do.
- It is fun to watch. People gather behind the rig to watch a friend try a corner.
- It fills the gaps. Tournaments have breaks between matches. A side game keeps the crowd busy, so the energy does not drop.
At HAVOC 2026, our rigs sat right beside the food stalls, so anyone walking past could stop and race.
What did visitors do at the sim racing rigs?
Visitors raced on our sim rigs: a racing seat, a steering wheel, pedals and a screen, set up on the court with the festival lights and stalls all around. Our crew ran the rigs through the night.
We were there until 2:00 AM, getting ready for the World Cup Final with everyone else at Likas.
Who is sim racing for at a festival?
Almost everyone. That is the point of a side game.
- Beginners. You do not need to know racing lines or car setups. Press the pedal, turn the wheel and learn as you go.
- Gamers waiting for their match. MLBB and eFootball players often have time between rounds. A few laps keep them nearby and in a good mood.
- Car fans. Racing sims like Gran Turismo 7 feature real cars and real tracks, so people who love cars get a taste of driving them.
- Families. Parents and older kids can take turns, and the rest of the family watches from behind the rig.
A good side game also gives the event a second crowd. Tournament fans watch the screens. Everyone else gathers around the rigs. Both groups stay longer, and the food stalls nearby feel it too.
How do you plan esports for a community festival in Sabah?
If you are organising a festival, carnival or night market in Sabah and want esports in the mix, here is what we have learned.
- Pick one or two main tournaments. MLBB and eFootball are proven crowd pullers in Sabah. Our MLBB tournament checklist covers the basics.
- Add a side game. Sim racing, PS5 or PSVR2 gives non-players something to do.
- Plan for the night. Outdoor and covered-court events in Kota Kinabalu often run late. Lighting, power and crew shifts all need planning.
- Keep the bracket clear. Players want to know when they play next. A visible bracket stops arguments. Our free bracket generator helps for smaller events.
- Have a crew that stays. Equipment needs someone watching it until the last player leaves.
Where can I play sim racing in Kota Kinabalu?
AKG Esports brings sim racing to public events across Kota Kinabalu and Sabah. After HAVOC 2026, we ran the Sabah GT Championship 2026, a three-day GT7 sim racing championship at SICC, together with Big Sale Sabah 2026.
To get faster between events, the Sim Racing Academy offers coaching from RM250 per session with Melvin Chung, former Team Malaysia sim racing representative and SUKMA 2024 esports coach.
Bring this to your event
Running a community festival, a youth night, a school carnival or a company family day? AKG Esports can bring the full esports corner, or just the side game.
- Sim racing setup with onsite crew: from RM1,000 per day for 1 rig, RM1,900 for 2 rigs, RM2,700 for 3 rigs.
- Gaming rentals (sim rigs, PS5, PSVR2): from RM500 per set per day, including delivery, setup and support. See rentals.
- Tournaments for MLBB, eFootball, PUBG Mobile, Tekken 8 and GT7, with brackets, leaderboards and prize management. See tournaments.
- Full event production with casters, emcees and live streaming: custom quote. See all services.
For more ideas, read our guide to corporate family day ideas in Kota Kinabalu, or browse our past work on the events page.
Want esports at your next event? Contact AKG Esports or WhatsApp +60 11-3204 4931.
About AKG Esports
AKG Esports, also known as Aneekey Gaming, is an esports event organiser in Sabah, based in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. We run esports and sim racing events across Sabah, from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan, Tawau and Keningau: tournaments, sim racing activations, gaming rentals and HRDC-claimable team building, with 100+ events delivered. Untuk acara esport dan e-sukan di Sabah, lihat halaman Bahasa Melayu kami.