Skills in demand

However, the majority of those in the industry are not elite gamers, as there is demand for a wide range of other skills, including club management, game design, publicity and business cooperation.

Xia An, also known as Wendy, who works as a host and interpreter for the LPL is just one example of such talent.

She went viral on Chinese social media after a post-match interview at the World Championship this month, when she fluently switched between three languages－Chinese, English and Korean－to help interview players from different countries.

Xia said, "Apart from the top gamers, many other people work in the sector. We also need different types of talent to work for esports, which is growing quickly.

"I chose to work in this field because I was deeply impressed by the atmosphere at major esports tournaments at big venues. I was just a spectator, but I was touched by the passion of the fans and players.

"If someone really wants to know this industry, they should be aware that there are many outstanding players. The top players train very hard each day, but repetitive training can be very boring. As it's extremely competitive, we consider it a sport.

"However, with such dramatic and rapid development, there are downsides. Some low quality live broadcasts could have a negative influence on teenagers. This calls for stricter supervision, and we want to set examples and promote the positive spirit of esports to more people."