Shanghai unveils plans to boost domestic esports industry

A number of departments within the Shanghai government organised the 2019 Global Esports Conference on August 3rd, discussing how to accelerate the development of its national esports industry.

At the conference, Pudong New Area Government announced that the government will support ChinaJoy – the largest gaming and digital entertainment exhibition held in China – to become a leading international platform in the industry. The government also announced intentions to upgrade the Mercedes-Benz Arena, the Shanghai Oriental Sports Centre, the Yuanshen Sports Centre, and the Shanghai Peral River Creative Centre to meet the standards of iconic international venues.

The government will invest 5 billion RMB (£590 million) over the next three years to support the local gaming and esports industry. The supportive policies will provide subsidies for a number of esports organisations, companies, venues, clubs, streaming platforms, event organisers, and events.

With support from the government, numerous esports giants in China also revealed their plans for developing local esports industry. NetEase, the owner of Overwatch League franchise Shanghai Dragons, announced intentions to invest over 5 billion RMB (£590M) to build the NetEase Esports Park in Shanghai. The park will provide comprehensive facilities for esports practitioners to research and develop products, develop esports teams, educate esports talent, and build esports venues.

Besides announcing supportive policies, the government announced the launch of Shanghai Esports Week to hype the upcoming Dota 2 event, The International 2019 (TI9). A plethora of Chinese esports companies will organise hundreds of esports eventsto attract fans from around the world to come to Shanghai.

The government also unveiled the launch of its local esports league: 2019 Shanghai Esports Masters. The league will take place across November and December with the aim of setting a benchmark for domestic esports tournaments.

Esports Insider says: Although the Shanghai Major left a negative impression on esports fans, Shanghai has improved a lot and led the development of esports in China as time has gone on  It’s believed that the government and corporations are ready to put on a real show for fans at TI9.

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