The International Electronic Sports (esports) Invitational Tournament sponsored by NetEase and its gaming program Top Clans, as part of the 2022 edition of the China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week, will kick off on 28 November 2022. The tournament is the latest addition to the “Sports & Humanities” segment of the annual China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week.

The tournament will see players competing with one another in Naraka Bladepoint, a multi-player action-adventure game developed by NetEase Games. The title has accomplished a global sales volume of 10 million, with a sizeable chunk of it in Southeast Asia.

In early November 2022, a preliminary qualifying round is held online simultaneously in China and six ASEAN member countries – Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and Cambodia. Over 2,000 e-sports enthusiasts tried their hand at the game against their regional peers.

Those who ace the qualifiers will gather in both online and offline forms for the invitational tournament, which has a prize pool totalling RMB 100,000. The Guiyang City of Guizhou Province will host the offline division of the tournament comprising Chinese players, while their fellow gamers from ASEAN countries will continue competing online.

In the meantime, an esports commentary contest for this tournament, targeted at college students from across China, will also take place. Held online, this contest will consist of preliminary, semi-final and final rounds. A total of eight contestants will be awarded for their mastery of the craft. It is supported by NetEase Games and its e-sports “NeXTalent Starlight” program, which offers e-sports talent recruitment, training and incubation.

Many of Guiyang’s famous tourist sites, such as Jiaxiu Pavilion, Qingyan Ancient Town and Yangming Meditation Site, will be integrated into the design of the virtual and physical studios of the event. During the tournament, gamers from both China and Southeast Asia will get to have a good view of this popular summer resort in China.