The interface of a mobile game. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]

The 2022 Global E-sports Summit and the Tencent E-sports annual conference opened in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province on July 26, local media outlets reported.

E-sports experts, organizers and players discussed the rising popularity of e-sports in recent years and their upcoming debut as a medal event at the 19th Asian Games, which will be held in Hangzhou from Sept 23 to Oct 8 next year.

Attendees agreed that the inclusion of e-sports in the Asian Games was not only an honor but also had a positive impact on the development of many industries. People will better understand the development and competitive characteristics of e-sports, making it more socially accepted.

"E-sports can also improve cultural exchange around the world. As young people are very fond of e-sports today, we hope that in the future all e-sports-related IP, stories, and language can create a platform for young people in all countries to communicate with each other," said Hou Miao, vice-president of Tencent Games and general manager of Tencent E-sports.

The 2022 Asian E-sports Industry Development Report says that the global revenue of e-sports is expected to reach nearly $1.4 billion this year, while China, the world's largest e-sports market, will account for about a third of the total.