Shanghai E-Sports Masters underway with contests in four featured games

The Shanghai E-Sports Masters is taking place at the host city's Jing'an Sports Center. Nearly 100 players from around the world are competing from Wednesday to Sunday in four events - Honor of Kings, Valorant, Street Fighter 6, and Naraka: Bladepoint.

The opening ceremony showcased a strong esports style, and a sharp sense of technology. Officials from the Shanghai municipal government and Jing'an District were joined by the chairman of the host city's Esports Association, as they inserted electronic cards into a slot to begin the proceedings.

The five-day competition will crown champions in the four featured games, and the first event contested was Honor of Kings, with eight teams battling to reach Thursday's semifinals.

Luo Siyuan, also known as Huahai, made history by winning the first gold medal in esports at last year's Hangzhou Asian Games on behalf of China. He attended the opening ceremony as the player representative for Honor of Kings. But his Wuhan eStarPro team were stunned by Xi'an WE, who advanced to the semifinals to face Nanjing Hero Jiujing. The other last-four contest pits Hangzhou LGD.NBW against Jinan Rogue Warriors.

"I think it is a great honor to be able to represent Honor of Kings and attend the Opening Ceremony," said Luo. "Compared to the league, I think the overall schedule for the Masters is more compact, and there will be more interaction with the fans. Personally, I will try my best to participate in the competition, and I also hope to have another chance to fight for our country."