12 Jan 2021
Work starts on US$898m e-sports arena in Shanghai – the 'future gaming capital' of the world
BY Tom Walker
Construction work has begun on the huge Shanghai International New Cultural and Creative esports Center.
The 500,000sq m venue is estimated to cost around 5.8 billion yuan ($898.2m) and forms part of a larger, US$1.5bn project.
Built by Chinese property company SuperGen Group – the parent company of Chinese esports organisation Edward Gaming (EDG) – the venue is located in the city's Minhang District.
The 6,000-seat arena is expected to open in 2024 and is expected to host around 300 events each year.
As well as being a venue for e-sports, the centre will house facilities for e-sports teams and companies to base their operations and compete – and will act as the new HQ for EDG.
Other facilities include a video game-themed hotel, a breakdancing venue and an indoor skydiving centre.
The new centre is at the heart of plans to establish Shanghai as the "gaming capital" of the world.
The city already hosts some of the biggest esports events and in 2020 held the final of the League of Legends World Championship.
China is currently the largest market for esports – an industry estimated to have generated around US$1.1bn in 2020.
In November 2019, a report surveying more than 200 global sports executives showed that the growth of esports in recent years has "already impacted traditional sports".
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