Riot Games owner Tencent is wanting to further grow its esports reach in China by teaming up with local governments to foster more low-level tournaments. Konami is building its own esports arena, and PUBG launches the 2019 PEL.
China to subsidize local esport tournaments
China-based Tencent — the owner of Riot Games and League of Legends — will be investing more to host esport tournaments locally in the region. Local governments are also said to be onboard to subsidize events to boost economic growth and get people more involved, according to Blooloop.
Tencent not only views esport tournaments as great means of generating additional revenue, but also as an opportunity to increase the longevity of published games, such as the MOBA hit League of Legends.
Konami's downtown esports center
Konami is constructing a new building in Tokyo, the capital of Japan to bolster its esports efforts. As reported by Gamesindustry.biz, the new center will be situated in the downtown district of Ginza. This new building will be 12 stories high with a single underground floor.
Upon completion, the new center will reportedly house an esports arena, shop for merchandise and hardware, as well as esport classes to help grow intrigue in the industry and scout new talent. It's set for completion to coincide with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Dropping in shortly
PUBG Corp. announced this week the start of the PUBG Europe League (PEL), covering professional teams in Europe, Middle East, and Africa. The new league will commence on March 21, allowing 16 teams to compete against one another over three phases. Teams in these regions will qualify through pro-level competitions to enter the first phase at the FACEIT Global Summit in London.
This first phase, which will take place between April 16 - 21 with a prize pool of $400,000. Once the three phases have been completed, the top performing teams will be invited to the Global Championship where a $2 million prize is up for grabs.
See the participating teams below:
Europe East
- CrowCrowd
- Jokers
- M19
- Natus Vincere (Na'Vi)
- Red Diamonds
Europe West
- Ence
- FaZe Clan
- G2
- Ninjas in Pyjamas (NiP)
- Pittsburgh Knights
- RYE Gaming
- Team Liquid
- Team SoloMid (TSM)
- Team Vitality
- Winstrike
Middle-east & Africa
- Digital Athletics
The PEL will allow teams from the regions an opportunity to sit at the table in the Global PUBG Championship, comprised of the U.S., Korea, China, Japan, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania.
Upcoming live events
- PUBG PEL — starting April 16, watch on Twitch
