The "Road to Asian Games" (RDAG) esports series was officially launched in China's Macao on Friday, as 29 countries and regions fight for favorable seeding positions in seven video games titles at the Hangzhou Asian Games main event in September.

The RDAG is jointly organized by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) – the organizer of the Asian Games – and the Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF). It is aimed to offer a preview for the upcoming esports events at the Hangzhou event.

"Today, you will showcase the Olympic values that the esports community upholds: excellence, respect and friendship," said Kenneth Fok, president of the ASEF, at the launch ceremony.

Esports is making its debut at the event, after it was played as a demonstration sport in the Jakarta Asian Games in 2018.

Unlike in 2018, esports medals awarded in Hangzhou Asian Games will be counted into the medal tally.

"May the RDAG be a testament to the incredible achievements and unwavering dedication of esports athletes in Asia," said Wissam Trkmani, project and operations manager at the OCA.

Seven video game titles will be competed in during the RDAG, including League of Legends (LOL), PUBG Mobile, Arena of Valor, DOTA 2, Dream Three Kingdoms 2, Street Fight V and EA SPORTS FIFA-branded soccer games.

"Asia is already the pioneer in embracing and promoting esports towards massive, comprehensive sporting events," said Hou Miao, vice president of Tencent Games, adding that esports has finally taken the crucial step to become an "international comprehensive event."

Players and referees, including LOL athlete from Team Hong Kong China, Zou "YSKM" Shude, took the oaths at the ceremony.

The RDAG events will be live-streamed on platforms like YouTube, Twitch and Bilibili.

The first LOL matches were played on Thursday, with Team China beating Team Macao China 2:0 and Team Chinese Taipei beating Team Hong Kong China 2:0.