Esports is a young but rapidly growing field in the world of computer gaming. Over the past few years, it has gained immense popularity worldwide, especially in China and Asian countries. Dota 2 has long been considered one of the most sought-after esports disciplines, with millions of fans around the world. Tournaments with multimillion-dollar prize pools attract the attention of sponsors, organizers, and spectators. Against this backdrop, esports betting is becoming increasingly popular among bettors, with many major bookmakers accepting such bets. Among these companies is Melbet. This bookmaker offers a wide variety of bets and quick registration. All you need to do is register, perform Melbet login Pakistan, and you can start exploring your betting options.
However, looking closely, you can notice significant differences between the Chinese and Western esports ecosystems. Let’s examine them.
The Origins of the Chinese Esports Industry
China is one of the leaders in the modern esports industry. It is home to leading players, tournament operators, and a huge army of fans. A significant player in the market is the company VSPO, created in 2016 under VSPN. Its main goal is to provide comprehensive services in esports: organizing tournaments, commercialization, and community management.
The company has organized major competitions for games such as Honor of Kings, Peacekeeper Elite, CrossFire, League of Legends, and others. VSPO hosted the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where esports received official status for the first time.
Founder Dino Yin initially saw high demand for gaming content with low supply. By building esports complexes in different cities, the company aimed to provide gamers with a complete digital and offline experience.
Market Development and Characteristics
During its operation, VSPO has witnessed significant changes in the industry, especially in the mobile scene. Focusing on mobile games proved to be the right decision for the Eastern market. As the popularity of gadgets grew, esports became actively integrated into Chinese pop culture.
In 2019, professional LoL player Jian “Uzi” Zi-Hao was named Weibo’s Person of the Year among all celebrities. Esports has been reflected in popular series such as “Crossfire” and “You Are My Glory.”
Advancements in technology and new tournament opportunities have allowed turning large events into spectacular shows for fans. CEO Danny Tang noted that the industry is striving to overcome the barriers of local markets and games to achieve full globalization.
Criticism arose over investment inflows from the Saudi-based Savvy Games Group due to human rights issues in Saudi Arabia. VSPO explained the deal as a unified view with Savvy on the concept of recognized and independent esports events.
Esports “winter” in China
A recent economic crisis and downturn, known as the “esports winter,” have affected many companies in the West, forcing them to cut costs. The reasons were unstable business models focused solely on rapid growth.
However, according to Yin, this problem has had little impact on China. He noted two main reasons for the crisis in the West: the lack of truly competitive teams and the low quality of competitions.
For Chinese fans, maximum quality and competition are crucial. The absence of top-tier competitions hinders league commercialization. Yin compared the situation to traditional football, where fans prefer the best European tournaments like the English Premier League.
“Users will choose the best content wherever it is. If you don’t offer them such content, they simply won’t watch it,” he explained.
Moreover, it is easier and cheaper to organize tournaments in China. For example, one of the largest sponsorship deals for Honor of Kings KPL cost $10 million, which would be impossible for the USA.
Community Development
At the same time, there are growing opportunities for esports community development. According to Danny Tang, expanding the fan base is critically important for overcoming current difficulties. Special emphasis should be placed on the female audience, which already accounts for about 50% of the total number of viewers and players in China.
Developing an inclusive, open-to-all community is the key to transitioning from a niche product to mainstream. This will open up a host of new monetization opportunities, including sponsorship, merchandise trading, and services.
Lowering the entry barrier appears to be a logical strategy. Free-to-play mobile game models with in-game purchases have been very successful for this reason. “All projects aim to provide pleasure to the user. Esports becomes part of the content of their products,” Tang noted.
According to him, by providing newcomers with a positive and accessible environment to get acquainted with the community, companies can attract more people to watch tournaments.
Overall, the Chinese esports ecosystem clearly differs from the Western model. Emphasis on competitiveness, mobile games, and gradual transition to inclusivity shape its current form. Time will reveal what other surprises await gamers in the Celestial Empire.
