On the bank of the Qiantang River on October 8, the "big lotus" was brightly lit. The "Asia" logo gushes out of the river, stands above the Qiantang River, and finally floats towards the Olympic Sports Center Stadium, blending with the rushing Qiantang tide projection, and falling into the venue.
With the extinguishing of the torch tower and the departure of the digital torchbearer, the closure of the Hangzhou Asian Games was also announced. At the Asian Games, the Chinese delegation won 201 golds, 111 silvers and 71 bronzes, with a total of 383 medals, of which e-sports contributed 4 golds and 1 bronze.
This is the first time that esports has been included as an official sport at the Asian Games, while other sports are striving to "tide the east". The timid e-sports are a little restrained and shy, and they have never "made waves". People in the middle may know the reason, but the outside world still can't escape the use of "broken circles" to judge success.
In the past 10 days in the Hangzhou E-sports Center, for various reasons, I did not see a tide, but I saw the tide gathering from all directions. There are too many historic moments to remember. And beyond those highlight moments, I want to tell a little story about what I heard and saw. Take a look at the Asian Games esports from a different angle.
1. A patchwork opening ceremony
On September 23, the Hangzhou Asian Games opened with the "Big Lotus", and Chinese esports athletes also welcomed their Asian Games opening debuts. From 2003, when the State General Administration of Sports officially approved e-sports as the 99th official sports competition, to this year, e-sports has gone through exactly 20 years and finally embarked on the opening ceremony of the Asian Games.
The significance of each step at the opening ceremony to the esports world is self-evident, but how to witness it has become a problem. The team members were mixed in the long line of the Chinese delegation. Although there are reporters from major agencies carrying "long guns and short cannons", no one will go out of their way to find e-sports athletes.
My colleagues and I had only one task that night, to photograph the esports athletes at the opening ceremony of the Asian Games. The media seats were a little away from the team, and the members of the team could not be recognized by the naked eye or mobile phones.
In the end, you can only use the stupid method, use a single opponent to keep shooting the team from beginning to end, and then enlarge the picture and recognize it one by one. Once confirmed, quickly take a picture with your mobile phone and send it out.
In the middle is League of Legends project player Zhao Jiahao
One by one, esports athletes were "captured" by the camera. Most of them are covered physically, and some don't even have a straight face, but once they are issued, they are reprinted by industry media and netizens.
That night, netizens rummaged through all the public information, hoping to find any trace of the esports athletes' presence at the opening ceremony. Some are in the corner of the picture, some are flashes in the live broadcast, some are a waiting picture in the news, and some are a background on the Weibo of other delegations. This picture pieced together the first esports player to walk to the opening ceremony of the Asian Games.
At the end of the opening ceremony, colleagues excitedly sent a circle of friends with pictures, just three words, "photographed"! Such excitement is also difficult to humanize for traditional sports, but if you have experienced e-sports over the years, emotions are inevitably complicated, and there are a few strands of bitterness in the excitement. In any case, after 20 years, the esports national team directly in front of us still waved the red flag and strode towards us.
2. Take the stage briefly
The first esports event of the Asian Games is the Honor of Kings Asian Games edition. The Macau King Glory Team, which completed the opening ceremony the day before, lost to Myanmar in ten minutes because of a small mistake in the early stage, and then decided to bid farewell to the Asian Games.
Because this group stage is generally a single round robin of three teams BO1, if the group is two strong and one weak, then one BO1 between the two will decide whether to qualify or be eliminated.
After the match, the Macao team members expressed their regrets to varying degrees, saying that they had paid a lot and sacrificed a lot for this competition, but they could not go further because of mistakes.
Macau reporters also revealed to me that it is really difficult for them to stand here, the players are from the all-Macau organization of the selection competition, the average age is more than 30 years old, the oldest is 35 years old, this is likely to be their last battle.
Coach Ho Youjun became the focus of the day, he was the leader of the e-sports program of the Macao delegation at the Asian Games, and the coach of the Glory of Kings Asian Games team.
I specifically asked him after the game if he regretted the result? He said there must be regrets, but sometimes esports is so brutal that a small mistake can ruin the entire game, "Today we experienced this cruelty." But that's okay, none of that changes esports is a fun and exciting sport. ”
In his opinion, even if the Macau team only plays for a short time, it will change the perception of the Macau people about e-sports. Whether parents or not, they all understand that esports is actually a real sport, and at the same time it is a huge market worth trying. There will also be more young people in Macao who feel that they can be e-sports players and one day walk on such a big stage as the Asian Games and work hard.
Why is it in the middle
In the days that followed, I saw many players from various countries and regions flashing on the stage like a marquee. But the moment of standing on the Asian Games stage must have been very meaningful for their local esports industry.
On the small islands of the Maldives, in the foothills of Nepal, in the felt tents of Mongolia, there are always young people who are inspired to ignite their esports dreams, even if it is only for a short ten minutes.
3. The night of the first gold in esports
On the 24th, the Hangzhou Asian Games ushered in the final of the King Glory event, which also means the birth of the first gold medal of the Asian Games e-sports. On the shuttle bus from the Media Village to the main media center, journalists from many other projects are discussing esports.
At night, there were many reporters from the e-sports venues, and until the game began, there were still reporters pouring into it. All seats at the scene were occupied, and a large number of media reporters could only stand and watch the game.
The Chinese team also failed to live up to expectations, quickly winning the Malaysian team, winning the 48th gold medal for the Chinese delegation at the Asian Games, and also won the first gold medal in e-sports as an official competition.
The mixed mining area after the game was called a bustle, and every media outlet squeezed forward with equipment, trying to get more shots of the newly released esports champions. By the next day, the seats in the first row of the media seats in the arena were affixed with signs indicating Xinhua News Agency, Agence France-Presse, Reuters and other world-renowned major agencies. We smiled and said, don't think, there must be a lot of big clubs, and finally there is no place to stand and watch the finished game.
On the night of the championship, CCTV CCTV5 broadcast the replay of the game, which is undoubtedly a picture that e-sports people have been looking forward to for many years. In 2004, "Esports World" was officially suspended on CCTV5. It wasn't until 19 years later that esports were broadcast again on CCTV5, a complete esports competition. But that night, such news did not cause much discussion, because nothing stimulates the nerves of the outside world more than the gold medal in the esports Asian Games.
Six players, Chi Xiaoming, Jiang Tao, Lin Heng, Luo Siyuan, Sun Linwei and Xu Bicheng, were also bound to the first gold medal of e-sports and became history together. Shortly thereafter, the hometown of wild player Lin Heng (ID Nuanyang) in Yanpu Town, Cangnan County, pulled up a banner for him in front of the Lin Clan Ancestral Hall, praising Lin Heng for the pride of the people of Yanpu Town in Cangnan County, and the ancestral merit of the ancestor!
In front of the Lin Clan Ancestral Hall, there is a photo of Lin Hengda's victory, and he has returned home, and the ancestor of Guangzong Yaozong is like this.
4. The spirit of e-sports athletes
Meeting the Peace Elite China team at the shop around the athletes' village, that close encounter also greatly changed my image as an esports player.
In the shopping mall of the Asian Games Village, the group wore white uniforms, and it was difficult to take your eyes off them. The team members are clean, refreshing, sunny, polite, and have a youthful feeling. Zhu Bocheng, the tallest man, has been surrounded by athletes and staff members who have been asking for autographs and group photos.
After that, the team took a group photo in the Asian Games Village, and many people passing by had to ask what kind of Chinese team it was, and by the way, the young men looked so good that they must win the gold medal for China, and some foreign players and staff took the initiative to ask for a group photo.
Witnessing all this on the side, I feel a little proud in my heart. In terms of image temperament, e-sports players have been criticized by the outside world in the past, and they have even washed their hair to be praised. Although occasionally one or two clean and handsome people come out, the overall image and mental outlook have always been short.
Suddenly, the whole team looked very comfortable, and the image and mental outlook suddenly became an advantage. Not adaptable, but really happy. Since then, they have also brought this spirit to the field, winning the race with a domineering "1" gesture, and finally "1" all the way to the top podium. The meme of the game that left "the Chinese team is far ahead" was talked about by the audience.
This change in the image and mental outlook of e-sports players can be said to be the inevitable result of the attention and development of the entire industry. I believe that "they" will not be the exception, and sooner or later it will become the norm in the entire esports circle.
5. The Korean team that arrived early
The earliest e-sports competition at the Hangzhou Asian Games started at 9 a.m., and friends familiar with e-sports should know what a scary time it is.
Due to the need to squat to shoot the pictures of the players coming to the venue, the most impressive thing in the process was the Korean League of Legends national team. At 9 a.m. game, they will be at the venue at 7:30.
If you have to arrive at the venue at 7:30, then you have to leave before 7 o'clock, and the team members have to wake up after 5 o'clock. This inference is confirmed by Faker. In interviews, he talked about waking up at 5:40 a.m. to start the day.
In the past, esports players used to play in the afternoon or evening, get up at noon, and play at 9 a.m. to challenge the players' ability to adjust. In the face of the same situation, set the biological clock earlier, and when you play at 9 o'clock, you can enter the competitive state earlier, and at the same time, you can increase the winning rate of the game. Many times, the victory or defeat of a game is made up of these details.
This time, the Korean team did a better job in all aspects. In the coaching session, KKOMA pushed the offor of many professional teams and focused on the Asian Games. The selection stage, after JDG won MSI. The coaching team engaged in a heated argument over whether to recruit JDG. In the end, he abandoned the traditional principles and decided to form the national team with the most powerful players and fight for the gold medal. Kanavi and Ruler, who played for the LPL, were selected.
Back in Jakarta in 2018, when the LPL team had never been a world champion, the LCK team was inertial thinking, and the biggest imaginary enemy was still its own division. Although the national team was formed from various clubs, it was full of factions and reserved for each other.
This time, they selected the most suitable people, formed a team, and determined to win the championship. They are better prepared and better at the details, but also more eager to win. In the end, he won all six games, crushed and won the championship, and everything fell into place.
On the League of Legends project, China and South Korea have been fighting for several years, each leading the way. It's just that this time the frustrated ones have become us again.
I have always felt that it is not a bad thing to have such a strong opponent and target as South Korea on this project. Constantly catching up and surpassing is a special "sport" thing in itself.
Over the years, you have won and lost, failure is not terrible, the important thing is how to face failure. Only by facing up to the gaps, discovering problems, and summing up lessons can we regain glory in Nagoya later.
6. Who is this Vietnamese?
The three or four finalists of the League of Legends event at the Asian Games will be played between China and Vietnam. When the players from both sides were introduced before the game, unexpectedly, the name of Vietnamese coach Sofm cheered the loudest, even overshadowing the host. The surprised staff at the scene came to me and asked, who is this Vietnamese and why is the cheering so loud?
So how to introduce this old friend of LPL. His name is Sofm, he has played professionally in China for many years, and Chinese he speaks better than some domestic players. The location is wild, and the style is unique in LPL. Often a second of gods and a second of ghosts, there is a nickname called Vietnam's richest man, because the canyon odds are tied to his thoughts. By the way, the coach of the Chinese team opposite is also his former coach. I laughed as I spoke, I could say too much about Sofm, how could I say it clearly in just a few words.
Sofm
On the first day of the Vietnamese team, I also interviewed him after the game, when I asked questions in Chinese, and Sofm answered directly in Vietnamese without thinking.
Me: Huh? Don't say Chinese?
Sofm: No way, the request can only be answered in Vietnamese or English.
So I asked in Chinese, and he answered in Vietnamese. After turning off the shooting equipment, he used Chinese simple translation, which we cleverly bypassed the "rules".
This Asian Games also met many old friends of LPL. YSKM, from Hong Kong, China, said in the face of surrounded reporters that at the opening ceremony, he felt that the motherland was very strong, and directly went out of the circle on social media. Karsa, from Taiwan, China, said that he did not laugh again this time about the draw, and the effect of the show was full. Kanavi from South Korea, who said in Chinese that he ate well and slept well at the Hangzhou Asian Games, stunned several reporters from other sports.
Kanavi
This group of e-sports players who have played or are playing professionally in the LPL have come to Hangzhou as if they were coming to their home stadium, they are the focus of the media and the darlings of the audience.
7. The best game
If you ask me about the best esports competition of this Asian Games, I will choose the final of the Street Fighter 5 event without thinking.
The final two sides were Xiang Yulin from Chinese Taipei and Kim Guanyu from South Korea, both of whom are over 44 years old.
You don't need to know much about the game to watch the game, that is, empty your brain, feel the impact of direct giving, the ultimate attack and defense, but if you catch a flaw, you can boil your blood.
The crowd cheered on Xiang Yulin, born in April 1979, the oldest player in esports. He fell behind several times in the game and caught up several times. In the scorching fight, it seems that the burning fighting souls of the two can be seen. 4-3, South Korea's Kim Guanyu stood last. At the end of the race, the two "over-age" players of the same age hugged each other.
"I didn't expect that playing electric could also go to the Asian Games, and I didn't expect that the competition in electric was so good."
An elderly Taiwanese journalist sighed.
Later, after the award ceremony, I met Xiang Yulin. Knowing that he is the first professional fighting game player in Taiwan, in addition to his status as a fighter, he also has multiple identities such as the organizer of Street Fighter events in Taiwan.
On the right is Xiang Yulin
For silver, he said, regrets are the most because it's so close. Although I didn't know I could still have a chance to win a medal before. But he is very greedy, he just wants more, so he will fight until he is 44 years old.
He said his father died early and he went out to work alone at the age of 18. Fighting games have been with him longer than his father.
Many difficult moments in life are spent on fighting games to relieve stress.
Being a professional player, he says, is not about putting in a lot of effort to pay off. I can only try to contact and correct actions for more than ten hours a day.
He has a lot of injuries and can play in the Asian Games, thanks to medical help.
He said his wife was the most supportive of him. His wife complained that he was only the most handsome when he was fighting, and he was a middle-aged uncle at other times. In order not to let his family status decline, he can only play more games.
He said that when he could go out to play as a professional player, he found that he was walking the road that no one in Taiwan had walked. Now I don't know if I can stick to Nagoya, but I will pave a little more for Taiwan's descendants, and if I can do more, I can do more.
I listened quietly next to him, listening to him talk about his regrets, his persistence, his family. Until the scenes of his more than 20 years of martial arts esports life appeared in my mind, and his eyes were red.
8. Silent FIFA
On the 25th, in the secondary stage mixing area of the e-sports venue, a large number of media gathered to wait for the League of Legends Korean team, hoping to interview Faker.
Colleagues at Football Weekly joked that we may be the only one waiting for FIFAonlie4 players.
Unfortunately, the news was not good in the end, and China's Liu Jiacheng lost 1-2 to South Korea's and stopped in the quarterfinals. Just the day before, another Chinese player, Li Sijun, lost to South Korea and Indonesia to the round of 16. Lau Ka Shing lost 0–2 to Vietnam and fell into the losers' bracket.
Liu Jiacheng was interviewed after the game
Before the Asian Games, I received the message that South Korea and Thailand were strong in this event, and I thought I could still win a medal. The day after the start of the race, we lost to Indonesia and then Vietnam. This result has touched the nerves of Chinese people who are sensitive to football. Just by posting a result online, the comment immediately turned on the mocking mode.
"Can't we have a football at our feet, and we can't have a football in our hands?"
"After losing Vietnam and losing to Myanmar, there is no way to lose next."
However, the low popularity of the FIFA project has also become a kind of protection at this time, and the esports media has been relatively restrained, so that it has not turned into headlines on major platforms.
After losing the match, Mr. Liu said that although players from many countries usually play another game, they are very quick to get started and have a strong learning ability. This also explains why many countries do not have FIFAonlie4 and play well. No matter what kind of football game it is, soccer esports is always changing.
At the same time, this project is important and special for esports. On the night of the final, even if it was just the Thai civil war, Huo Qigang, president of the Asian Electronic Sports Federation, and other bigwigs were present to watch. In the past two years, the Olympic Committee has embraced e-sports with virtual sports, and football e-sports, as the world's most widely participated virtual sports, is undoubtedly one of the top priorities.
At the next 2026 Nagoya Asian Games, football e-sports will be a certainty, and even if it enters the Olympics later, it will definitely be a must. However, if we really want to be on a par with the real national football team in this esports project, it will be too embarrassing.
9. Love each other as a family
At this Asian Games, the songs of Hangzhou E-sports Center are quite interesting. Before the Sino-Korean War in League of Legends, the song played was "Wait Once in a Thousand Years". Before the League of Legends final of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the entire stage turned into a mooncake special effect, and the song played was "Water Tune Song Head". After the final of the Dota 2 project China reversed the overturn Mongolia, "Sing the Motherland" was played, triggering a chorus of the audience.
However, the most meaningful thing is the final of the Dream Three Kingdoms 2 event, against China and Hong Kong. Before admission, the classic Hong Kong music "Red Sun" sounded in the venue. When the two teams entered, the team members gave each other high fives, and then the song "Blind Date and Love Family" sounded. The audience cheered, and the media looked at each other and smiled, all knowing the meaning.
There were families on the field, and there were also many family members off the field. In this match between Dream Three Kingdoms 2 and Peace Elite, I met many parents who brought their children to watch the competition. The "intimate moments" in the game are often captured on the big screen not as couples but with parents and children. It must also be the Asian Games, otherwise in the past e-sports arena, such a picture is too rare.
I also saw the parents of many players come to the scene to witness their children winning the championship, and the excitement and pride could not be quelled for a long time. In the interview, parents proudly supported their children's professional e-sports, and thanked their parents for their openness and dedication after winning the championship.
Zhu Bocheng's parents
Only by experiencing it personally can we better understand that e-sports is not a barrier, but a bridge, between the "brothers" on the field, and between parents and children off the field.
10. The Nagoya Asian Games are approaching again
That day, in the media room of the e-sports hall, I also met the Nagoya Asian Games staff who came to investigate. A group of several people, the work is quite meticulous. They will take pictures of every important place they see and ask the staff for details and procedures. Just this July, at the Olympic Council of Asia plenary meeting in Bangkok, esports was approved as an official event for the 2026 Nagoya Asian Games.
As for the events of the much-watched Nagoya E-sports, it can be roughly estimated based on the situation of the Jakarta Asian Games and the Hangzhou Asian Games. First of all, League of Legends, as the best esports program in Asia, will still be there. Football esports, as the vanguard of virtual sports esports, will continue to be selected, but the project will be changed from FIFAonline to Japan's own live football. Street Fighter is an old and strong project in Japan, and it will inevitably be selected, but it will be upgraded from Street Fighter 5 to Street Fighter 6.
After these few must-haves, there may be one or two esports with obvious Japanese characteristics. In addition, cards and mobile games, I believe that all parties will also discuss and select a few. Several strong projects in China need to think again in this sector.
Three years is not far away, referring to the previous time node, the participation of esports will be determined more than a year in advance. So there may not be much sadness and joy, and a new round of Asian Games preparations for some projects is about to begin. Whether awkward or not, the preparation of national teams in the next four or even two years will become the rhythm that mainstream esports projects need to adapt to.
Imagine Mahaka Square in Jakarta 2018, where e-sports arenas are converted from basketball courts in a shopping complex. On the ground floor of the complex there is a supermarket, cafes, furniture stores and a video hall showing Chinese costume dramas. Going up to the second floor, the Players' Lounge faces the stairs and next to it is a Muay Thai gym. In the mixed environment, everyone "secretly" broadcasts, which is somewhat magical in retrospect.
In five years, e-sports has gone from Mahaka Square to Hangzhou E-sports Center. It's like stepping into modern society from that "distant afternoon in Macondo." Many people may not think that this esports has not surged as expected, but in less than ten days, I saw the tide gather and reverberate.