The Chinese city of Chengdu is on track to become a prominent esports hub by 2024, with the announcement of several major tournaments taking place there.
The city’s esports industry has seen significant growth following the introduction of two major policies, the “Action Plan on Building A Global E-sports Industrial Base” (2024-2026) and the “Eight Articles on E-sports,” both of which have already begun to take effect. The Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone (CDHT) is aiming to solidify its status as an esports hub with substantial planned investments, including an estimated RMB 1 billion in the esports industry fund and an esports angel fund of RMB 100 million.
Chengdu has already made strides in this direction, with the announcement of upcoming events such as LoL’s Mid-Season Invitational and ESL’s IEM Chengdu.
Credit: CDHT
Esports Thriving in Chengdu: IEM China and League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational
Chengdu will play host to the IEM China event at the Wuliangye Chengdu Performing Arts Centre in April, where 16 teams will compete for a $250,000 prize pool and a direct invite to the IEM Cologne 2024 Group Stage. In addition, Riot Games will collaborate with Chengdu to host the Mid-Season Invitational, the first international tournament of the 2024 LoL season.
Chengdu’s esports scene isn’t limited to traditional PC gaming. The city recently hosted the Grand Finals of the Honor of Kings International Championship 2023 at the Chengdu Phoenix Hill Sports Park, as well as CrossFire’s world championship event, CrossFire Stars (CFS), and NetEase’s Naraka Bladepoint World Championship.
Image Credit: ESL
Chengdu’s Commitment to Developing the Esports Industry
According to an update by the CDHT, the Chengdu Gaoxin District is planning to invest 240 million RMB ($33.5M) to transform the city into a cultural hub of esports within the country. Their goal is to help build Chengdu into a world-class industrial base of esports through holding global top esports events, introducing and cultivating top esports enterprises, planning and building landmark esports carriers, and supporting the sound development of esports talents.
According to public policy, the government will offer up to 5 million RMB ($700K) allowance to organizers who host large-scale international esports events in Chengdu, in addition to substantial construction support for professional esports venues in the city.
Moreover, the new Action Plan, called “2+2+3+N,” aims to construct new professional esports venues and establish a new esports industrial base of 30,000m2 in Tianfu Changdao.
China boasts one of the largest esports fan bases in the world, with nearly 488 million people. The region’s developed economic landscape in gaming and esports, combined with government support, is attracting tournament organizers, aiming to foster further growth and increase monetization.
