NetEase reveals plans for $700m esports stadium in Shanghai
Stadium to feature game development, team building, and training facilities
Chinese gaming giant NetEase announced plans over the weekend to invest ¥5 billion (around $700 million) into building an esports park in Shanghai.
The announcement, as reported by Technode, comes from the 2019 China Digital Entertainment Congress on Saturday.
While the esports portfolio of NetEase lacks the punch of its rival Tencent, which boasts both Honour of Kings and League of Legends, it does have distribution rights for Star Craft in China, and publishes leading mobile battle royale title Knives Out. It also owns Overwatch League team, Shanghai Dragons.
"Shanghai has world-class location advantages in terms of incentive policies, upstream and downstream industries, infrastructure, and purchasing power and habits of local residents," said president of NetEase's game business, Ding Yingfeng.
The park will be "China's first large professional esports stadium." It will reportedly be built in Qingpu District, and will include facilities for development, team building, and training.