Esports Officially Recognised As A Profession By The Chinese Government
The debate as to whether esports is a career has been widely debated in months and years gone by. With money rising to the elites of each chosen title through prize money and sponsorships, the heads side of the coin has always barked "yes". However, the tail side has often countered with the indefinable status of "professional", meaning where can one draw the line as to where being professional starts and stops, and whether esports as an entirety has enough longevity to be a sustainable career.
Over in China, the esports community is one of the rifest and sought-after industries to be involved in. As the acting hub of League of Legends (often where the World Championships is held), China also excels in titles such as Dota 2, PUBG, Arena of Valor, and Hearthstone.
Now, with so many professionals making a steady living from competing in esports, the Chinese Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (CMHRSS) has announced the standard classification of occupations for esports professionals. The titles ‘esports operator’ and ‘esports professional’ are now officially recognised within their government.
Click to enlargeThe CMHRSS has even set up certificates for esports players to go through and be educated in. They stated "There are more than 5,000 esports teams operating within China, with around 100,000 active pro players and 50,000 active amateur pro players. Despite such, a huge gap exists among these players, as less than 15% of those players meet the [Level 2 Certificate] standards. We created this system to contribute to the rapid growth of the esports industry".
The country has birthed some of the leading players in certain titles. Names such as Lu "Somnus" Yao and Xu "fy" Linsen ring in the ears of Dota 2 fans as part of the PSG.LDG roster that has reached consecutive The Invitational finals and amassed just shy of $3 million in earnings each. Yu "JackeyLove" Wen Bo also leads the light in League of Legends for the nation as part of the World Championship-winning roster of Fnatic.
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