ESPORTS: CHINA

Understanding how the industry works around the world

Introduction
Esports is a relatively new area of interest involving the play of different games, often team based. It is highly profitable, with an
annual growth rate of 40%!
In this presentation, we will be representing Esports in China.
◦ We will be exploring how the Chinese government recognises Esports as an industry
◦ What the national bodies, teams, and organisations are in this this unique and attractive nation
◦ And how it relates back to us here in the UK. How is it different or similar in the way esports is structured and organised?
How is Esports classified in China
◦ China's General Administration of Sports has included esports as
an official sport in the country since 2003. This makes China one of the
earliest adopters of esports on an official, government level. In comparison,
The UK hasn’t yet recognised esports officially. But has still responded
positively. In 2020 the government stated “Esports has the potential to
develop as an area of real national strength in the UK.”
◦ Dozens of Chinese universities have esports major courses after the
Ministry of Education in China worked to add esports and gaming into
higher education and vocational training curriculums. In 2016, “esports and
management” was added to the Ministry of Education’s list of permitted
college majors. Some universities, like the Communication University of
China, offer Majors directly related to esports, and numerous vocational
schools also offer esports degree programmes or electives.

◦ https://esportsinsider.com/2022/05/esports-around-the-world-china#:~:text=China's%20General
%20Administration%20of%20Sports,on%20an%20official%2C%20government%20level
.
What esports organisations and companies are
most dominant in China
◦ The Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF) is the governing body of Esports in Asia and recognized by
Olympic Council of Asia.
◦ https://www.aesf.com/en/About-Us/Who-Is-Aesf.html

◦ CADPA also named 18 esports companies to its “Vice Chairman Unit,” which include social media platform
Weibo; video platform Kuaishou; game publishers NetEase, Tencent and Perfect World; tournament
organizers VSPN and TJ Sports; livestreaming platforms Huya and Bilibili; and esports organization Edward
Gaming (EDG).
◦ https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Esports/Sections/Legal-and-Governance/2022/06/CADPA-China-esports.aspx#:~:text=CADPA%20also
%20named%2018%20esports,organization%20Edward%20Gaming%20(EDG)
.

◦Bilibili Gaming, Edward Gaming, FunPlus Phoenix, Invictus Gaming, LGD Gaming, Bilibili Gaming, Talon esports,
Vici Gaming, Weibo Gaming, Newbee
◦ https://esportsinsider.com/2022/05/esports-around-the-world-china
 What is the most popular esports team in that
country?
◦ Who is the most popular esports team in that country?

◦ As of May 2022, Chinese eSports team LGD was the most successful eSports
team in Asia, with earnings of approximately 15.7 million U.S. dollars in total.
That is more than twice the highest earning British team, Liquid! ($4.5 million in
prizes across 75 different tournaments.)

◦ LGD Gaming is a Chinese professional esports organization based in Hangzhou.

It is one of the oldest esports organizations in China and currently has players
competing in Dota 2, Honor of Kings, League of Legends, Overwatch, and Player
Unknown's Battlegrounds. It was founded 2009, the team is team sponsored by
Guizhou Laogandie Food.

LGD Gaming winning their first game in the LoL World Championships
2020
Another exceeding team is:
◦ PSG Esports is a French professional esports organisation founded in 2016.
Based in Paris, it is the esports department of the parent club Paris Saint-
Germain F.C. The organisation has active divisions in FIFA, League of Legends,
Dota 2, FIFA Online, Brawl Stars, and Arena of Valor. PSG stands for Paris Saint-
Germain.
Most popular titles in China
League of Legends with 29 servers in China alone! Alternatively, China represents 20% of Overwatch’s
player base. Some other popular games include:

◦ Heroes of the Storm, Arena of Valor, Honor of Kings,

◦ PUBG Mobile, Vainglory, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Street Fighter, Hearthstone,

◦ Defense of the Ancienta

Does that country host any esports events?
China, being one of the world’s largest economies, is also
the world’s largest esports commercial market. During the
last decade, China has cemented itself as one of the
absolute leaders in both esports game development,
publishing, and tournament organising. The country is
home to world champions in a number of games, and some
of the largest esports companies in the world. Due to the
massive size of its esports audience, China and its major
cities like Shanghai are mainstays for some of the biggest
tournaments and tournament circuits in esports. It has
played host to several League of Legends World
Championships, arguably the most important date in the
esports calendar, alongside other major tournaments in
Dota 2 and especially mobile esports.
How does the esports industry in China
compare to that of the UK
One thing to outline is that there are 170Million eSports players and fans in China. That is more
than any of the traditional sports broadcasted and played in China
To put it in perspective, That number is almost double the entire population of the United
Kingdom.

As previously discussed, the Chinese Esports scene is way ahead that of the UK, One of the main
reasons being that it is fully recognised as a sport by the Ministry of Sport. This means that the
industry is able to receive way more financial and social support, along with promotion and
advertisement. According to state media, the number sits at 14Billion US Dollars in worth. The
UK on the other hand, made 60Million Pounds worth of revenue in 2019.
However The annual salary in China is estimated at 12,000 Pounds. That is less than half that of
the UK, which sits at almost £32K One reason why is the absence of a labour union. When you
want to protest something you've had enough of, and few people are backing you up, what next?
Most people may blame themselves. I think that's the reason why workers usually attribute their
low wages to that they're not good enough, instead of they themselves deserve more.

https://ukie.org.uk
https://www.cnbc.com
https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Salaries/esports-salary-SRCH_KO0,7.htm#:~:text=How%20much%20does%20an%20ESports,Glassdoor%20by%20an%20
ESports%20employees