A Gamer’s Paradise: Hainan Invests in Esports
In an announcement Monday morning, Tencent and the Hainan government announced plans to develop the province into a “global esports harbor”.
The government plans to invest $145.6M into projects on the island south of the mainland, including $1.46M earmarked for events, and support for tournaments and companies looking to set up shop there. The government will also provide higher education and housing assistance, amongst other benefits, to esports players looking to move to the region.
For their part, Tencent is hosting its Global Esports Annual Summit, where the partnership was announced, on the island, along with plans to hold their League of Legends Summit and Tencent Digital Culture Festival there. All three events will be utilized to boost Hainan’s presence as an international tourism and tech center.
Hainan’s Esports Ambitions
The partnership will also see the Chinese central government designate Hainan as it’s 12th free trade zone, which will allow the province to approve tax-breaks and reductions/elimination of tariffs for companies and tournaments located there. The tournament approval process will also see streamlining to simplify the process.
The government will also be expanding the visa-free program for international players looking to travel to Hainan. This program will include players from 59 different nations, including the US, Germany, and Korea amongst others.
The plan is all part of Tencent’s “Esports Country Development 2.0” program, which seeks to promote China’s position as a world center for esports and gaming. Hainan will be the first province to participate in the program, and if it’s successful, will likely see a rush from others to take part as well.
The partnership is likely to be a major factor in Tencent and Riot’s planning of the League of Legends World Championship in 2020, which will be held in China. The game has become closely tied with Chinese youth culture and its pro scene, Tencent’s LPL, is one of the most viewed sporting events in the country, having achieved over 30 billion views last year.
With the concurrent announcement that the LPL will also be looking to add two new teams to the league next year, there’s a good chance we see one or both of these new orgs relocate to Hainan to take advantage of all the new benefits.
The news has sparked a wave of excitement in the gaming community, with many hoping to see their own countries establish similar partnerships for their own cities.
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