Chinese team wins $5M prize at e-sports gammers tournament

World Today

Chinese team wins $5 M prize at E-Sports tournament

There’s also a new breed of “sports professionals” striving to be at the top of their game, who are putting in the same level of training, though perhaps with less the physical exertion. A pro-gamers sport can be rewarding. To prove that, a Chinese team has taken home a $5 million prize, after winning the fourth Dota 2 Finals, an international computer game tournament. CCTV America’s Su Yuting reports

Chinese team wins $5 M prize at E-Sports tournament

There's also a new breed of "sports professionals" striving to be at the top of their game, who are putting in the same level of training, though perhaps with less the physical exertion. A pro-gamers sport can be rewarding. To prove that, a Chinese team has taken home a $5 million prize, after winning the fourth Dota 2 Finals, an international computer game tournament. CCTV America's Su Yuting reports

It was a history-making moment for Chinese pro-gamers. Team “NewBee” was officially the world champion, adorned with tens of thousands of admiring spectators from all over the world. It may be virtual sports, but the rewards are very real. These are millionaires made from playing video games.

Wang Jiao is the oldest player in the team. He said the PC Game DOTA 2 has become hugely popular, allowing teams of players to engage in fantasy-style combat.

It’s quite hard to become a successful professional eSports player. Like any good sport, it’s about skill, not chance. There’s tremendous pressure on the gamers. Arduous is the training that goes into cultivating a winning team like Newbee.

“They need to work long hours every day honing their skills to compete on a world class level. The pressure to win is heavy. The team wake up at around noon, they eat brunch, then they start training very soon. They’ll stop for dinner for a little while, and then train for another 6 hours before retiring to bed until midnight. They train to win. The mental pressure is increasing as they aim higher for the worldwide competition.” -Tong Xin, Team “Newbee” manager

Experts say the esports industry is developing and there are still many challenges. For one, most parents see gaming as a bad influence.

E-sports have been officially approved as China’s 99th certified sport. It has boosted the competitive gaming industry’s popularity at home, and more importantly, it represents China’s increasingly impressive status at the global e-sports stage.