Chinese victory marks another big step for esports

Being a professional gamer is tough, and it requires a lot of hard work to appear in international matches.

Tian said EDG's training usually starts in the afternoon, with the first session lasting about five hours. After dinner, the squad has about two hours of physical training, during which fitness coaches and the club's medical support team help players exercise and relax.

Esports players also need good physical strength and stamina to maintain 100 percent focus during matches, which can last four to five hours. After physical training, the players still practice for several hours each night.

Tian said: "Professional players and regular gamers are very different. I think a high degree of talent is needed to become a professional.

"Regular gamers play for fun and relaxation, but we need to focus on every detail of the sport. The players and coaches also need to cooperate and we must have good tactics."

Pan Yibin, EDG's general manager, said being a professional gamer is not a profession for everyone, and neither should esports be an excuse for young people to abandon their education and escape from reality.

"Many parents send their children to our club for trials, but 99 percent of the kids don't stay with us for more than a week. They cannot accept the hardship of being a professional gamer," Pan told Beijing News.

"Esports players are just like traditional athletes who need to accept hard training and strict management. We have a massive amount of data to help us analyze if a person can become a professional gamer."

One of the main reasons for the surprising results achieved by Chinese esports teams in international tournaments is the dramatic development of the industry at home.

According to LPL, its live matches last year were viewed 21.8 billion times, while the number of views for all its content, including related shows and interviews, reached more than 100 billion.

Moreover, according to the 2020 Global Esports Development Report published by Tencent Esports and Penguin Intelligence, the total number of Chinese gamers and fans reached 400 million at the end of last year, a 14.3 percent annual growth rate. In 2019, the Chinese esports market was valued at 13.8 billion yuan ($2 billion).

Tian said he has witnessed the industry's growth over the years.

"Our tournaments are becoming increasingly professional, with more fans and spectators. The venues are also becoming better and better."