Support for Esports in China

Esports has been growing in popularity globally, but perhaps there is no better support for the industry than in China. On January 25, 2019 “esports operator” and “esports professional” were announced as official and recognized professions in China, by the Chinese Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

The Chinese government has also demonstrated support for esports in the past, as the government seeks to grow its domestic esports industry. For example, in December of 2018, the Shanghai government began an esports athlete registration program “as well as multiple esports projects with game publishers.” This is in addition to the planned investment in esports stadiums, and in research and development for future esports games.

Esports fans in China account for approximately 30 percent of fans globally, with local governments expanding this support through targeted investment in the industry. By 2025, Beijing plans to be a capital for esports, not only including competitions but also through the creation of a center for research and development of esports games.

As seen throughout the world, there is revived interest in esports because of COVID-19-related lockdowns. The Chinese esports industry has also seen a spike in esports interest during COVID-19, with sales revenue from the game market increasing by 20 percent for the first half of 2020.