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Qualifiers for esports at the Asian Games are underway... and shrouded in secrecy
China confirm their participation at the last minute
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This article originally appeared on ABACUS
Remember when it was announced that esports would be a demonstration sport alongside this year’s Asian Games? The games themselves will be in Jakarta later this year, but the (virtual) games have already begun -- albeit in secrecy, and with a lot of twists and turns.
There was heavy fanfare when the Olympic Council of Asia announced the historic decision to include esports. Countries like Japan and South Korea were quick to announce their all-star lineups. And with Tencent being behind three of the six titles in the competition (League of Legends, Arena of Valor and Clash Royale), you’d expect China’s roster to swiftly follow.
Except it didn’t.
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China wound up being dead last, submitting their lineup of players at the last minute. One report said the confirmation process was held up for a long time because the government was not on board. There were even rumors that China was going to miss out entirely.
The lineup was finally unveiled by Tencent on Jun 12, a week after the registration deadline ended... and two days after the team had already competed in the the regional qualifier for LoL in Hong Kong.
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So yes, the national team did play the regional qualifier after all -- but nobody knew, because the games weren't shown. Due to broadcast license restrictions, footage of the games will not be released until June 20.
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