Asian Games eSports: China getting three gold medals?

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Video games-based eSports has become a demonstrative sport in the ongoing Asian Games before it becomes an official one in 2022.

The Chinese team will compete in three games and has a good chance of getting all of the gold medals.

The eSports section of the Jakarta Asian Games is composed of six video games:

- Arena of Valor (AOV): A mobile game in which 10 players are thrown into a magical battlefield in two teams. They have to lead their side to victory by properly utilizing the unique "hero character" they choose. This game style is widely known as Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA).

The standard game map of AOV /Screenshot from YouTube

- Clash Royale: Another mobile game based on the "tower defense" style. In this game, two players drop different kinds of troops in attempts to destroy the opponent's home tower.

Clash Royale /Screenshot from YouTube‍

- League of Legends (LOL): A MOBA game on personal computers. AOV is more or less based on this title.

Gameplay of LOL /Screenshot from YouTube

- StarCraft II: A sci-fi real-time strategy PC game in which two players build their own army and face each other. They have to build their base, economy and military from scratch and maintain them with multitasking skills. The original title in the series, StarCraft, is widely recognized as the game that kicked off serious eSports, as it's one of the most skill-demanding and balanced video games ever created.

StarCraft II gameplay /Screenshot from YouTube

- HearthStone: A card game partially based on the famous online game World of Warcraft. Two players face each other with their personally-customized card decks.

Hearthstone gameplay /Screenshot from YouTube

- Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) 2018: A soccer simulation game in which players manage their own virtual team and try to win tournaments.

PES 2018 gameplay /Picture from

China didn't send out any players for StarCraft and PES, while the HearthStone player failed to qualify.

With that said, the Chinese team is competitive when it comes to MOBA games.

AOV is created by Chinese entertainment giant Tencent, while Riot Games, the maker of LOL, is also owned by the same company.

AOV was first released in China, meaning the Chinese professional players have played it for a longer time.

For LOL, the star player Jian "UZI" Zihao is heading a team stronger than ever to face their longtime foe: the South Koreans.

UZI and his team have been winning top awards in a series of tournaments this year, and they are still on the rise.

For Clash Royale, China has sent out its best player in the spring season of the domestic league: Huang "Lciop" Chenghui, in hopes of bringing back a gold medal.

Though medals are going to be awarded, they will not add up to the country-by-country medal tally this time. But they will in 2022.

Seeking recognition

The Asian Games, which are recognized by the IOC, are billed as the world's second largest multi-sport event after the Olympics.

Kenneth Fok, the president of Asian eSports Federation, told CGTN Sports Scene, "How we take it through the Asian Games to a more mainstream, main stage, I think that is very important. It's also an important step towards being accepted by society and also being accepted by the Olympic movement."

Kenneth Fok, president of Asian eSports Federation /VCG File Photo

One factor that has put some people off eSports is the violence. Studies have shown that video games may increase players' tendency toward violent behavior.

Fok mentioned, "Of course the red line is different for everyone. We are talking about an issue that is subjective. Everyone has a different view or a different definition of violence. I don't want to go into what is violent or what is not. That is a much longer debate."

"We have to be able to work together as a federation, as publishers, as gamers and as a community to define this space and, you know, to move it forward, and I think the Asian Games is the first step."

Competitive gaming now draws tens of millions of spectators to online platforms and real-world venues, which makes its future brighter than ever.

Click here to check the match schedule.

Stay tuned to CGTN for the latest updates about eSports in the Jakarta Asian Games.

(Cover video by Huang Chenchen. CGTN's TV program Sports Scene also contributed to the story.)