The Hangzhou Asian Games are approaching, and sports fans' attention to various events is gradually increasing. E-sports can be said to be one of the "top streams" of this Asian Games. According to the ticket sales plan, the e-sports event not only has the highest ticket price of up to 1,000 yuan for the final, making it one of the most expensive tickets for the Asian Games, but also the only event that needs to be drawn to buy tickets, which shows its popularity.
On May 21, the final scene of the "Charm Hangzhou" E-sports National Invitational Tournament King Glory Asian Games version was filmed at the Hangzhou E-sports Center. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Huang Zongzhi
So what are the e-sports competitions of the Hangzhou Asian Games? Who sets the rules for each event? After the Asian Games, will esports join the Olympic family in the future?
The e-sports event of the Hangzhou Asian Games was held from September 24 to October 2 at the Hangzhou E-sports Center in China, and produced a total of seven gold medals. According to the official website of the Hangzhou Asian Games, there are 7 events in this e-sports competition, namely League of Legends, Glory of Kings (Asian Games version), Peace Elite (Asian Games version), Dota 2, Dream Three Kingdoms 2, Street Fighter 5 and FIFA Online 4.
In addition to Street Fighter 5, the Chinese team will compete in the remaining 6 games. According to industry analysts, projects such as King Glory, Peace Elite, and Dream Three Kingdoms 2 will be potential gold points for the Chinese team. Unlike the nature of the performance events at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, the gold medal in this esports event will count towards the medal table.
As a new type of sport, the competition form of e-sports varies with different categories and platforms, and the corresponding schedule and rules are also relatively diverse. Fans who are interested in esports will ask, how can esports, which has become an official event of a large-scale intercontinental multi-sport event for the first time, accommodate teams from different countries and regions in Asia compared to a single esports event on a club-by-club basis?
It is reported that the e-sports competition of the Hangzhou Asian Games will be jointly negotiated by the Hangzhou Asian Organizing Committee and the Asian Electronic Sports Federation (hereinafter referred to as "Asian Electronic Sports Federation") to decide on technical issues such as competition format and venue arrangement. During the whole preparatory process, the game copyright owners continued to communicate and integrate with the Olympic Council of Asia, the Asian Electricity Sports Federation, the Hangzhou Asian Organizing Committee and other institutions, and established a set of general standardized standards applicable to e-sports at the Asian Games.
Among them, the setting that has reference significance for the future "integration of e-sports into large-scale comprehensive events" is that the glory of kings and peace elite respectively launched the Asian Games version. It is understood that the Asian Games version of Glory of Kings bridges the differences between domestic and international versions of heroes, and peaceful elites have also eliminated relatively "violent and bloody" battle royale, shooting and other gameplay. In addition, the two games cancel many commercial settings and some extended gameplay, which also makes the game more fair and concise.
Judging from the feedback from all parties in the early stage of the opening of the Asian Games, the formal combination of e-sports and the Asian Games is a "win-win" marriage for the e-sports industry and traditional sports competitions represented by the Asian Games.
Xiao Hong, an expert in the e-sports industry and CEO of Perfect World, said: "The entry of e-sports into Asia is a milestone event, which not only means that e-sports will further move towards sports, but also promote the popularization and standardization of e-sports. ”
In Asia, the popularity of e-sports has become a trend. In July this year, the Olympic Council of Asia plenary meeting was held in Bangkok, where it was announced that esports will be an official sport at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya; The Asian Power Sports Federation has also announced that it will host the E-Sports Asian Cup in 2024. In addition, the Pan American Games in Chile this October will also be accompanied by the Pan American Esports Championship.
In the future, can esports go one step further and become an official Olympic event?
IOC President Bach said at a press conference in 2020: "Will esports one day be considered for inclusion in the Olympic Games? The answer is yes. It depends on when the day comes. ”
This year, the IOC has frequently signaled "embrace" esports. In June, the first Olympic Esports Week was held in Singapore, the IOC's first in-person event named "Esports". In September, the IOC announced the creation of a new esports committee, which also sparked a lot of reverie among sports people around the world.
In the IOC's discourse, virtual sports are strictly conceptually separated from video games, and in terms of the prospect of entry, the agency has said that the priority will be virtual sports, such as cycling, taekwondo and other sports that require participants to exercise in real sports.
Despite the strict standards and procedures for inclusion in new sports, the IOC is open to the "young wave", and judging from the fact that skateboarding, breakdancing, surfing and other sports advance to the Olympics, it may really be only a matter of time before esports enter the Olympics.