Is Chengdu becoming the esports capital in China this year?

Esports in Chengdu – the host of IEM China and League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational

Earlier today, esports tournament organizer ESL announced that IEM China will be hosted in Chengdu, China. Taking place during April at the Wuliangye Chengdu Performing Arts Centre, 16 teams will compete for a $250,000 prize pool and a direct invite to the IEM Cologne 2024 Group Stage.

Considered one of the most important professional gaming competitions in the world, Chengdu is looking to further establish itself as a leading host for major esports competitions. A few weeks after IEM China, Riot Games will be collaborating with the Chinese city to host the Mid-Season Invitational, the first international tournament of the 2024 LoL season.

Esports, however, are not only on PCs. The mobile game Honor of Kings, one of the most famous titles in the world, recently hosted the Grand Finals of the Honor of Kings International Championship 2023 at the Chengdu Phoenix Hill Sports Park. It also CrossFire’s world championship event—CrossFire Stars (CFS) and NetEase’s Naraka Bladepoint World Championship last month.

Chengdu’s efforts in developing the esports industry

According to the news outlet The Esports Advocate, the Chengdu Gaoxin District expects to invest 240 million RMB ($33.5M) to transform the city into the cultural hub of esports within the country. 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, which is probably the reason why tournament organizers have been looking to bring their products to the city.

But most importantly, China boasts one of the largest esports fan bases in the world, with nearly 500 million people, according to Statista. Thanks to one of the most developed economic landscapes when it comes to gaming and esports, tournament organizers are looking to further foster growth in the region while also looking to increase monetization as the industry is navigating through the “esports winter” and its challenges.