Each month, sports digital agency Mailman shares the biggest industry news and insights from China’s esports scene, along with analysis on why it matters.
Last month was a busy business period for China’s League of Legends and Dota 2 esports scenes due to the 2022 League of Legends World Championship (Worlds 2022) and Dota 2 The International.
The qualifying Chinese teams, Edward Gaming (EDG) from League of Legends and PSG.LGD from Dota 2, signed multiple deals to power their teams in the last few days of the competitions. Meanwhile, Chinese game publisher NetEase updated its esports plans for the Naraka Bladepoint World Championship.
LGD Gaming partners with Bank of China, Bilibili Sponsors PSG.LGD
Chinese esports organisation LGD Gaming signed a strategic partnership deal with the Bank of China’s Zhejiang Provincial Branch. The deal will focus on collegiate esports competitions and build the bridge between esports infrastructure and finance. Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain LGD Gaming (PSG.LGD), LGD Gaming’s Dota 2 division, signed a sponsorship deal with Chinese video and live streaming platform Bilibili. The Bilibili logo will be featured on the right-side chest of the team’s jersey when PSG.LGD is competing at The International in Singapore, the biggest prize pool of the esports year.
The Bank of China’s Zhejiang Provincial Branch and Bilibili’s esports division are both based in Hangzhou. Those two deals have greatly empowered LGD Gaming’s esports position in Hangzhou, where the 19th Asian Games will be hosted next year. PSG.LGD is the best-performing Chinese Dota 2 team and one of the strongest challengers in the TI pool. High performance and qualification for TI are the main reasons behind Bilibili sponsoring PSG.LGD.
NetEase to host $1.5m Naraka: Bladepoint World Championship
Chinese game publisher NetEase announced that the 2022 Naraka: Bladepoint World Championship (NBWC) will be hosted from December 15-18, featuring a $1.5m (~£1.35m) total prize pool. 12 teams from China’s Naraka Bladepoint Professional League (NBPL) and 12 teams from North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia will compete in this tournament.
NetEase has continued to invest in Naraka: Bladepoint esports after finding a new home in Shanghai’s Lingang District for the NBPL franchise. Compared to the inaugural NBWC, sponsored by Durex and Philips in January, the second edition of the event increased its prize money from $1.2m (~£1.08m) to $1.5m but has not released the sponsor list yet. We expect to see more non-endemic brands showcased at this global event.
VSPN to host $2m PUBG Global Championship in Dubai Esports Festival
Chinese esports tournament organiser VSPN and the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) announced that the Dubai Esports Festival (DEF) will be hosted at the Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC), and that the $2m (~£1.81m) PUBG Global Championship (PGC) will be a part of DEF 2022 from November 17-20th.
In addition, Sam Mathews, the Founder and CEO of British esports organisation Fnatic will be invited as a key speaker to the industry conference — Initiate Summit — to discuss how to enhance the esports ecosystem in Dubai and the MENA region.
As Saudi Arabia ramps up its esports ambitions there will be huge esports business potential between China and the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region. DEF 2022 is a big start to kick off from.
Mailman is a leading sports digital agency in China. It helps sports organisations & brands to build sustainable businesses in China, one of the world’s most challenging markets. Mailman is an Endeavor China company.