Shanghai starts construction on $898 million e-sports arena, as it pushes to be world gaming capital

Key Points:

• Shanghai has launched a new 5.8 billion yuan ($ 898.2 million) e-games center.
• Shanghai International New Cultural and Creative E-sports Center will cover 500,000 square meters and aims to be where teams and organizations can be supported and fought.
• Shanghai hopes to become independent as a global e-sports hub. Last year, the city sponsored the "Alliance of Legends" international tournament, which is probably the biggest time in the sports program.

E-sport fans watch the 2020 League of Legends World Championship match broadcast on screen at Tencent V-station in Shanghai, China on Saturday, October 31, 2020.

GUANGZHOU, China - Shanghai has kicked off an important e-games center as the city moves to become a pioneer in critical sports.

E-sports is gearing up for some of the world's fastest-growing video games. Over the years, e-sports competitions have figured out how to park big arenas with fans rushing to watch their top players.

The program, called the Shanghai International New Cultural and Creative E-sports Center, will cost 5.8 billion yuan ($ 898.2 million) and a length of 500,000 square meters. It is intended to be a center where e-sports teams and organizations can be based and will have a guest lounge connected to it.

Shanghai hopes to become independent as a global e-sports hub. Last year, the city hosted the "Group of Legends" international tournament, probably the biggest event in the e-sports program.

China's e-sports status

E-sports continues to grow rapidly and is proven to generate $ 1.1 billion by 2020 worldwide, as indicated by the gauge by sports statistics company Newzoo. China is the world's largest sports market, according to Newzoo.

After that, 70% of China's 720 million players play e-sporting events, such as testing company Niko Partners. So the market has great potential.

SuperGen, the Chinese parent organization of the sports team Edward Gaming, is a legal supporter of the Shanghai building law.

The e-sports center is expected to open in 2024, as reported by nearby media.