A Champion Team Returns to the Summit: The Passion and Underlying Strength Behind China’s Esports Title Defense at the Asian Games

On September 28, the final of the Honor of Kings esports event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games concluded. The Chinese team defeated the Malaysian side with a dominant 4-0 scoreline, successfully claiming the gold medal in the event and defending their Asian Games title.This gold medal is not only China's second esports gold at this edition of the Asian Games, but also makes team captain Xu Bicheng (in-game ID: Yinuo) the first athlete ever to win two Asian Games esports gold medals.(GameHub.)

Across all four games, the Chinese team left their opponents with barely any breathing room. From dominant laning pressure in the early game to seamless team fight coordination in the mid game and decisive shot-calling in the late game, the roster — composed of Xu Bicheng, Huang Yaoqin, Meng Jiajun, He Weijia, Wang Ke and Zhao Haoyu, led by head coach Li Tuo — delivered a near-flawless competitive performance.When the opponent's crystal finally crumbled in the final game, deafening cheers erupted from Chinese spectators both inside and outside the arena. This team has made history as the first squad to successfully defend their title in an Asian Games esports event.

For Xu Bicheng, this gold medal holds extraordinary significance. From Hangzhou to Nagoya — from making his Asian Games esports debut to now captaining the team to a successful title defense — he has etched a one-of-a-kind mark on his professional career with two weighty gold medals.

This gold medal serves as an epitome of the vigorous growth of China's esports industry in recent years.According to Tencent Holdings' Q1 2026 financial results, the company recorded 45.4 billion yuan in domestic gaming revenue, marking a 6% year-on-year increase, while its international gaming revenue reached 18.8 billion yuan, up 13% year on year.Specifically, Honor of Kings has seen its cumulative global revenue surpass 17.5 billion US dollars, and Delta Force: Hawk Ops has also exceeded 900 million US dollars in cumulative global revenue.These figures may seem cold, but they reflect a quiet transformation of China's gaming industry — a shift from "products going global" to "cultural export".

This edition of the Asian Games features 11 esports events across 13 game titles, with all competitions staged at the Aichi International Exhibition Center.The Chinese sports delegation competed in four events: Naraka: Bladepoint, Honor of Kings, Peacekeeper Elite and Identity V.In the two concluded events — Naraka: Bladepoint and Honor of Kings — China has claimed both gold medals.From event layout and player cultivation to tactical reserves and in-game composure, China's esports sector is ascending to the pinnacle of Asia with an increasingly mature profile.

As more and more young people turn their attention to this esports arena, and a growing number of game titles take on both competitive and cultural significance, what China’s esports industry needs to do is to stay grounded amid the cheers and seek longer-term value beyond gold medals.

Beneath the night sky of Nagoya, the Five-star Red Flag is raised once again at the esports venue. This gold medal belongs not just to the six young players competing on the competitive stage, but also to every individual who has quietly dedicated themselves to the development of China’s esports.

Of course, the story of China’s esports is still being written.