This year marks a major breakthrough for e-sports, as it will be officially recognized and showcased as a medal sport in the upcoming 2023 Asian Games to be held in the east China city of Hangzhou. This development is expected to deepen China's e-sports presence in international markets.  

Consulting company Niko Partners forecasts that China's games market is expected to reach $57 billion by 2027.  

Zhu Qinqin, secretary general of Shanghai E-sports Association, said that China's competitive gaming scene has certain advantages, particularly in the self-development and standardization of e-sports events. 

"In recent years, domestically developed e-sports products have been gaining popularity in overseas markets. In addition, China has established a standardized and systematic approach, surpassing similar efforts made in Europe and America. This has prompted many European and American e-sports platforms to adopt China's e-sports model for their development," Zhu said. 

"The rapid growth of China's mobile e-sports has significantly increased its presence in the global e-sports industry," he added.  

Chinese game companies are expanding their reach globally, accounting for 47 percent of mobile games revenue worldwide, the Niko Partners report showed.  

In March, one of the most popular mobile games, Honor of Kings (HOK), debuted in Brazil. The same will be featured at a competition event later this year at the Asian Games. 

"The Multiplayer Online Battle Arena category has tremendous growth potential in Brazil, and it's crucial to take a long-term approach to developing this market. However, cultural differences between countries can pose challenges in terms of localization," Allan Zhang, head of Honor of Kings, said. "To overcome this, we aim to introduce our HOK culture to the local public in a way that resonates with them and meets their language needs." 
 

Meanwhile, Asia's largest game show ChinaJoy will return to Shanghai in July with over 500 exhibitors demonstrating and diverse AI and e-sports events for attendants. It will discuss global e-sports industry development and announce key e-sports events for next year.  

"The official recognition of e-sports in major international events will raise public awareness of the industry. Today, e-sports is no longer limited to just online gaming - it covers a diverse range of modes, such as virtual sports and robotics," Zhu noted.  

The upcoming games will further boost the development of e-sports by helping create a more structured and standardized approach to the industry.  

Dozens of Chinese universities now offer e-sports major to develop talent in this emerging field, Zhu said. With supportive policies and events, moving forward China's e-sports industry is expected to reach an even more professional and maturer stage.