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City

Shanghai

Shanghai is China's largest city and an internationally visible esports host market, combining a deep games audience with international competition, major exhibitions, and repeatable event infrastructure.

Shanghai
Shanghai's skyline reflects the city's role as a global commercial and esports hub. · Shanghai Skyline1.jpg · Mussi Katz · Wikimedia Commons · CC0
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Updated September 27, 2026

Market snapshot

Population

24.854m[3]

Resident population at the end of 2025

GDP

RMB 5.67tn (approx. US$814bn)[4]

2025 nominal GDP; up 5.4% year on year

Key esports property

CAC Shanghai[7]

Repeat international Counter-Strike tournament

Games industry platform

ChinaJoy

Annual games exhibition and business platform

Local policy

A sourced operational overview, not legal advice. Requirements should be rechecked before launch.

Topic

Esports industry zone

Current position

Jing'an's Daning Functional Zone provides production space, public esports facilities, policy support and industry connections.[5]

Commercial implication

Local policy support is concentrated in cluster-building: companies evaluating Shanghai can look for space, business services and ecosystem partners through the district's esports zone.

Verified Sep 3, 2026

Topic

Talent and innovation

Current position

Shanghai's Jing'an district is strengthening support for esports businesses and talent, with university and overseas service-provider partnerships.[5]

Commercial implication

The local offer extends beyond event hosting into recruitment, production capability, technology development and international expansion.

Verified Sep 3, 2026

Market ecosystem

Local organizations

Shanghai's local company base connects game development, publishing, events, esports production and international market access.

MOONTON GamesRiot Games

Events and competition

Date

Oct 2, 2026 – Oct 6, 2026

Venue

Venue not separately profiled

Date

Jan 11, 2025 – Aug 24, 2025

Venue

Venue not separately profiled

Date

Feb 22, 2024 – Jul 20, 2024

Venue

Venue not separately profiled

References65
  1. [1]Shanghai Skyline1.jpg — Wikimedia Commons
  2. [2]Shanghai Overview — Shanghai Municipal Government
  3. [3]Population — Shanghai Municipal Government
  4. [4]Shanghai GDP grows 5.4% in 2025 — Shanghai Municipal Government
  5. [5]Jing'an district rides esports boom — Shanghai Municipal Government
  6. [6]About MOONTON Games — MOONTON Games
  7. [7]CAC 2026 — Perfect World Esports
  8. [8]HERO ESPORTS Asian Champions League — Hero Esports
  9. [9]Bilibili Games contact information — Bilibili Games
  10. [10]Shanghai's Hero Esports league winners secure place at EWC — Shanghai Municipal Government / China Daily
  11. [11]CAC 2026 — Perfect World Esports
  12. [12]2025 Honor of Kings Challenger Cup format expansion — KPL
  13. [13]2025 Challenger Cup and Annual Peak Night city poster — KPL
  14. [14]北京WB夺得2025挑战者杯冠军 — KPL
  15. [15]2026 KPL competition calendar — Titan Sports Plus
  16. [16]2025王者荣耀挑战者杯决赛落地三亚 — Sanya Municipal Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports Bureau
  17. [17]2026 Honor of Kings Challenger Cup schedule and format — KPL
  18. [18]Chongqing Wolves win the Challenger Cup — The Paper
  19. [19]2017 World Champion — LoL Esports
  20. [20]Worlds 2017 — Leaguepedia — Leaguepedia
  21. [21]2017 World Championship — Liquipedia — Liquipedia
  22. [22]Riot partners with T-Mobile for Worlds 2017 — Riot Games
  23. [23]Worlds 2020 Primer — LoL Esports
  24. [24]Worlds 2020 — Leaguepedia — Leaguepedia
  25. [25]Worlds 2020 By The Numbers — LoL Esports
  26. [26]Secretlab OSS @ Worlds 2025 — LoL Esports
  27. [27]Worlds 2025 Heads to China! — LoL Esports
  28. [28]Worlds 2025 — Leaguepedia — Leaguepedia
  29. [29]Worlds 2025 Primer — LoL Esports / Riot Games
  30. [30]World Championship 2025 — Liquipedia — Liquipedia
  31. [31]Worlds 2025 Standings — LoL Esports
  32. [32]GZG crowned MCT East Asia champions — MOONTON Games
  33. [33]Everything You Need to Know Masters Shanghai — Riot Games / VALORANT Esports
  34. [34]Closing Out VCT 2024 Celebrating Growth and Our Community — Riot Games / VALORANT Esports
  35. [35]Champions Shanghai Standings — Riot Games
  36. [36]2026 VALORANT Esports League Handbook — Riot Games
  37. [37]Champions 2026 is Coming to Shanghai — Riot Games
  38. [38]VALORANT Esports Champions schedule — Riot Games
  39. [39]Champions Shanghai live audience and ticket information — Riot Games
  40. [40]Champions Shanghai finals weekend live audience and ticket information — Riot Games
  41. [41]VALORANT Champions 2026: brackets, groups, and standings — VLR.gg
  42. [42]Champions Tour 2024: China Kickoff — VLR.gg
  43. [43]Champions Tour 2024: China Stage 2 — VLR.gg
  44. [44]EDG 摘获《无畏契约》VCT CN 联赛首个年度总冠军 — IT之家
  45. [45]VCT 2023 End-of-Year Letter to the Community — Riot Games
  46. [46]VCT 2024: China Kickoff — Liquipedia VALORANT Wiki
  47. [47]决出两支队伍晋级马德里大师赛 2024 VCT CN联赛启点赛即将开启 — Sohu
  48. [48]英雄体育在黄浦江边为《无畏契约》玩家带来VCT CN首秀 — 英雄体育VSPO
  49. [49]VCT 2025: China Kickoff — VLR.gg
  50. [50]VCT 2025: China Stage 1 — VLR.gg
  51. [51]VCT 2025: China Stage 2 — VLR.gg
  52. [52]Champions Paris Standings — Riot Games
  53. [53]VALORANT Esports League Handbook — Riot Games
  54. [54]BLG 战胜 DRG 摘获《无畏契约》2025 VCT CN 联赛年度总冠军 — IT之家
  55. [55]VCT 2025: China Kickoff — Liquipedia VALORANT Wiki
  56. [56]ZYNOO brand introduction and VCT CN product partnership — ZYNOO
  57. [57]2025 VCT CN联赛启点赛正式打响，12支队伍争夺2个晋级曼谷大师赛名额 — Eastday
  58. [58]解锁‘会展+电竞’新场景，打造产业融合海珠样本！ — 南方+
  59. [59]2026年第二十三届ChinaJoy定档7月31日‘与AI同游’引领全球数字娱乐新风向 — ChinaJoy
  60. [60]ChinaJoy 2026: What to expect this year — Shanghai Municipal Government
  61. [61]ChinaJoy在浦东闭幕，带动餐饮等服务消费约7.09亿元，43.89万参观人次再创新高 — Pudong New Area People's Government
  62. [62]2026 ChinaJoy-Game Connection INDIE GAME展区剩余席位有限 — ChinaJoy
  63. [63]RED LAND 2026 to land on Fuxing Island during the National Day holiday — Yangpu District People's Government, Shanghai
  64. [64]REDLAND 2026 to land on Fuxing Island during the National Day holiday — Shanghai Municipal Government
  65. [65]From Aston Martin to Balenciaga: Why Luxury Brands Choose VALORANT — Press The Game

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