How Chinese technology supports esports competition at the Asian Games

The ECS (Esports Competition Solution), developed by Tencent, a Chinese technology company, provided comprehensive technical support for esports competitions at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 in Japan.

Before competition begins, the system conducts comprehensive checks of equipment, interfaces and network conditions, helping identify unauthorized peripherals, cheating macros and plugins. During matches, it monitors more than 30 indicators in real time and provides multiple viewing angles for both players and broadcast teams, giving referees additional data and visual references for decision-making. After competition, key footage and records can be securely retained for review, allowing incidents to be traced and analyzed through structured reports.

During the last Asian Games, the 217 matches supported by ECS were completed with zero technical incidents. In January 2026, Tencent Esports became the official esports technology partner of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). From January to June 2026, ECS supported three Asian Games test events in Japan, Singapore and Vietnam.

Unlike traditional sports, esports competitions rely heavily on complex hardware and network environments. Network fluctuations, equipment malfunctions and other technical issues can occur without warning, making them difficult for referees to detect or anticipate in real time.

This is where technology can play a critical role. As esports continues to establish itself within the broader sporting ecosystem, competitions need a more sophisticated oversight system – one that provides referees with reliable data to help ensure fair play.

In an interview with CGTN, Zhang Yati, esports manager at the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), highlighted the importance of making esports easier to organize and manage across different editions of the Asian Games.

She said, "One very important aspect of long-term, stable development is how we can help each Asian Games organizing committee optimize, improve, and simplify the overall complexity of organizing esports competitions."

Unlike professional esports tournaments, the Asian Games brings together organizing committees and personnel from diverse sporting backgrounds. Not everyone involved has extensive experience in esports operations.

Zhang explained that competitions need rules, tools and operational guidance that are straightforward, accessible and actionable, enabling people with different levels of familiarity with esports to work together effectively within a limited preparation period.

In this context, a stable and transparent officiating system, supported by reliable underlying technology, is an important part of integrating esports into the broader sports ecosystem.

The value of ECS is also reflected in feedback from industry representatives who have experienced the system firsthand.

Do Viet Hung, chairman of the Southeast Asia Esports Federation, said, "From our observations and firsthand experience, I believe this competition system is particularly useful when monitoring is required, when evidence needs to be collected, or when information needs to be reviewed and verified. I also believe that systems like this will raise the overall standard of esports event operations."

Zhang noted that after each event, the team gathers feedback from International Technical Officials (ITOs), National Technical Officials (NTOs) and on-site personnel to identify problems encountered during use and inform future iterations of the system.

The 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya features 11 esports events, up from seven at the previous edition, reflecting the expanding presence of esports within the Asian Games program.