Asian Games 2018 hosting multiple eSports titles for the first time in history
Future is here, and we don’t mean one that has robots competing in place of humans, but another in which athletes of different kinds show their wits in electronic sports, or eSports in short
The Olympic Council of Asia announced a partnership with Alisports, the sporting subsidiary of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, last year to add esports events to the 2018 and 2022 Asian Games. And now, we have a bit more info on what will be present in the show. The Asian Esports Federation (AeSF) has confirmed which games will be featured at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia to be:
- League of Legends
- Hearthstone
- Starcraft II
- Pro Evolution Soccer
- Clash Royale
- Arena of Valor
Western esports fans may be surprised that the list includes two mobile games, or by the absence of major titles like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. CS:GO’s popularity has not translated to Asia in the same way League of Legends has, despite its mass appeal in North America and Europe. By contrast, mobile culture is a driving force in Asia, particularly in China.
While esports will be a “demonstration sport” only in the 2018 program, it has been confirmed as a full-medal eventfor the 2022 games in Hangzhou, China.
