Top esports tournament heads to Beijing

Intel Extreme Masters, a world-class esports tournament, will come to Beijing for long-term development after a three-year deal was signed at the China International Fair for Trade in Services, which concluded recently.

The popularity of IEM, the world's first comprehensive esports tournament series, has skyrocketed over the past 10 years. The event is highly influential, especially in the field of esports.

Tournament officials signed a deal with Haidian Culture and Tourism Group to hold the events in the district for three years. This year's event will be in November.

In addition, Haidian district will hold the global finals of the VR Esports Global Competition, the first professional virtual reality esports event in China. The finals will be broadcast via 5G and 8K ultra-high-definition technologies, becoming the first event of its kind to use such technology.

It is estimated that no less than 200 million yuan ($29 million) will be invested to support cultural and creative startups in Haidian district.