HANGZHOU, China. In a thrilling showdown at the Asian Games, South Korea’s League of Legends team secured the gold medal, defeating Taiwan despite the absence of their star player. This victory not only earned them the top spot on the podium but also granted them an exemption from mandatory military service, a significant relief for the team members.
South Korean law allows exemptions from military service for athletes, classical and traditional musicians, ballet dancers, and others who have achieved top honors in specific competitions and have enhanced the country’s national prestige. The inclusion of online gamers in this exemption has been a topic of debate in South Korea. However, there was no dissenting voice at the Hangzhou esports arena during the gold-medal matches. The crowd, adorned with South Korean flags, cheered enthusiastically as their team triumphed over Taiwan.
The dominant South Korean team demonstrated their prowess by remaining undefeated throughout the tournament, including a decisive victory against their arch-rivals, China, in the final round.
Notably, South Korea’s iconic League of Legends player, Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, was unable to participate in the best-of-three final against Taiwan due to illness. Nevertheless, he will also benefit from the military service exemption since he played in earlier games. This exemption comes at a crucial time for the 27-year-old Lee.
His teammates admirably stepped up to the challenge, securing victory against Taiwan in two games, thanks to outstanding performances from Park Jaehyeok and Choi Wooje.
“I was sad not to be playing in the gold medal match,” said Lee, who received a resounding round of applause as gold medals were awarded. “However, from a team point of view, everyone did a good job, so I think winning the championship is the best however it is done.”
Earlier in the day, China’s League of Legends team clinched the bronze medal after overcoming a strong challenge from Vietnam.
Esports made its debut as a competitive sport at this year’s Asian Games, reflecting its growing popularity in the global gaming market. It has quickly become a favorite among audiences, with organizers introducing a lottery system for tickets to control demand.
The esports competition featured five PC games and two mobile games, encompassing both multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) and single-player genres. League of Legends, one of the most popular games, pits two teams of five champions against each other in a quest to destroy the opponent’s base.
The specially designed 4,500-seat esports arena was packed for both Friday’s matches. Spectators watched the gamers on a circular stage below while following the action on massive television screens above. Some attendees even dressed as League of Legends champions as they passionately cheered on their teams.
Esports was first featured as a demonstration sport at the previous Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, where it proved immensely popular. This year in Hangzhou, it was included as an official competition.
In addition to League of Legends, the lineup included Arena of Valor Asian Games Version (also known as Honor of Kings), Peace Elite Asian Games Version (also known as PUBG Mobile), Dota 2, Dream Three Kingdoms 2, Street Fighter V: Champion Edition, and EA Sports FC (also known as FIFA Online 4). Gold medals were awarded for each game.
The growth of the global games market continues to surge, with Newzoo, a leading research company in the industry, projecting that the number of players worldwide will reach 3.38 billion in 2023, marking a 6.3% increase year-on-year. Annual revenues are expected to grow by 2.6% to $187.7 billion.
Recognizing the potential of video gaming and virtual sports to engage younger audiences, the International Olympic Committee recently established a formal esports commission with a focus on virtual sports, aiming to stay relevant and attract new audiences.
Carlo Juancho FuntanillaFrontend Developer, WordPress, Shopify
Contributing Editor
AMA ACLC San Pablo
