Cyberport has a plan to make Hong Kong a regional leader in e-sports
- Cyberport’s HK$50 million e-sports arena can seat 400 people
- About HK$100 million has been allocated by the Hong Kong government to foster development of the sector
Cyberport launched a new, retractable e-sports arena on Tuesday during the opening ceremony of its annual Digital Entertainment Leadership Forum, themed this year on digital gaming and e-sports. The opening ceremony was officiated by Nicholas Yang, Secretary for Innovation and Technology, and by Cyberport chief executive Peter Yan.
The HK$50 million (US$6.4 million) e-sports arena, designed and built by Hong Kong based start-ups such as Kowloon eStadium, seats around 400 people, according to Roy Kwong, founder of Kowloon eStadium, which specialises in building e-sports venues, including one for Melco Resorts in Macau. The arena can be deployed or retracted whenever required.
Yan said the venue would be made available for free to tournament organisers trying to develop e-sports events.
Another HK$50 million has been earmarked by Cyberport for internships and promotional programmes aimed at Hong Kong’s nascent e-sports industry, as the 16-year-old ICT development tries to help Hong Kong realise dreams of becoming an Asian e-sports hub.
Yan said the HK$100 million for e-sports development is part of the Hong Kong government’s HK$100 billion spend on innovation and technology, as pledged by Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po in the 2018-19 budget.
