In glass-paneled conference rooms, members of Shanghai-based esports team Rogue Warriors tap their phones as they train from 11 a.m. until late, sometimes breaking for a meal. “I spend 15 hours out of 24 hours playing video games,” says 19-year-old Zhang Kaifeng, who plays the Tencent Holdings online battle arena game “Arena of Valor” professionally, adding that to stay competitive Long hours are necessary.
China is the world’s biggest esports market, with an estimated 5,000-plus teams, but the government’s tough new rules aimed at curbing gaming addiction are set to emulate Zhang’s difficult career. To the displeasure of many Chinese teens, the changes work to force gaming companies to limit online games for under 18s to just three hours a week. Even before the changes, minors were restricted to 1.5 hours on weekdays and three hours on weekends. Top esports players are typically discovered in their teens and retire in their mid-20s, and experts compare the intensity of their training to that of Olympic gymnasts and divers. One of the world’s most famous players from Riot Games’ “League of Legends”, Wu Hanwei, also known as Xie, began playing at age 14 and joined a club at age 16. Have become.
“The new rules almost eliminate the chances of young people becoming professional esports players,” said Chen Jiang, associate professor at Peking University’s School of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science. In doing so, the rules also undermine the big business of esports in China, where tournaments are often played in billion-dollar stadiums and livestreamed to many more. According to the state-run People’s Daily, the number of Chinese esports fans is estimated to be more than 400 million, while the domestic export market was valued at about 147 billion yuan ($23 billion). ) last year, says Chinese consultancy iResearch.
Rogue Warriors, a club of 90 gamers that train in a three-floor building that includes a dorm and a canteen, declined to comment on the expected impact of the new rules. An executive at another major Chinese club said the new rules would mean many talented people would miss out on being discovered. “The real top players are usually gifted and don’t necessarily play long before joining the club. Others may be great eventually, but they take a lot of practice to get there,” said the executive, who declined to be named, citing the sensitivity of the issue.
The new rules are not in-person laws that penalize individuals but rather on gaming companies that would require logins with real names and national ID numbers. Experts note that determined Chinese teens can still circumvent the rules if they have the support of their parents and are able to use an adult login.
Chinese officials have not addressed the impact of the new rules on the export industry, but Chen at Peking University said they have the authority to exempt some young export players. “The country can still introduce the same policies,” he said.
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