Amateur eSports contest kicks off in Putuo
Shanghai’s first amateur electronic sports contest was unveiled on Tuesday, with total awards of 200,000 yuan (US$29,900) up for grabs.
As part of the 3rd Shanghai Citizens Sports Meeting, the eSports Shanghai Amateur Championship opened its online application website (www.imbatv.cn/esac) on Tuesday morning.
Esports players and teams from both home and abroad are encouraged to take part in the games, which will be held online on November 14 and 15. Knockout matches will be held on November 21 through December 13 at Changfeng Joy City, IMBA E-Sports Center at the Global Harbor mall in Putuo District.
Participants will compete in the most popular computer and mobile MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) games, "League of Legends" and "Honor of Kings."
The final competition will be held at the Electronics Sports Park center on December 19 and 20, according to the Putuo District Culture and Tourism Bureau, one of the organizers of the event. All matches will be livestreamed online.
The first public eSports event launched by the authority aims to further promote eSports culture across the city.
Shanghai aims to become the world’s eSports capital, eventually rivaling Los Angeles, which has attracted famous game clubs and developers like Riot Games, Activision Blizzard and Infinity Ward.
The city government has initiated a series of preferential policies to support the industry and professional players.
The final competition of the 2020 League of Legends World Championship, also known as S10, is held on Saturday night in Shanghai.
With traditional sports activities curtailed by the novel coronavirus outbreak, local authorities have reaffirmed the city’s commitment to developing eSports.
While the Euro Cup and Tokyo Olympics had to be delayed due to COVID-19, League of Legends Pro League and King Pro League are holding events as scheduled in Shanghai. The 2020 League of Legends World Championship, also known as S10, was held on Saturday in Shanghai.
By the end of 2019, Shanghai had built 35 eSports stadiums and hosted 40 percent of the nation’s top eSports competitions. More than 80 percent of the nation’s leading clubs and players are based in Shanghai.
The value of Shanghai's eSsports sector is expected to reach 19 billion yuan this year, according to the Shanghai eSports Association.
The poster of the E-sports Shanghai Amateur Championship and the QR code for application.
