In the recent 2025 Global Digital Economy Conference in Beijing, a key event, the International Esports Development Forum was organized with mainly highlighting the significance of esports competition. In addition to its emerging trend in the industry, which cannot be ignored but rather should be invested in more and encouraged.
The forum concluded that esports has potential beyond entertainment as it is marching forward as a digital innovation and economic growth.
[TRENDING] The International Esports Development Forum
On July 5, 2025, the International Esports Development Forum was held during the 2025 Global Digital Economy Conference in Beijing, primarily focusing on the evolving force of esports, especially in a digital economy. The event was graced by groups of industry leaders, policymakers, and other stakeholders, who jointly discussed the bold vision for the esports industry compared to the traditional gaming industry.
Among the different events held at the 2025 Global Digital Economy Conference, the International Esports Development Forum caught the attention of visitors due to the statue of Hermes, the Olympian god of competition and the ‘god of esports’.
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Presenting an example of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, where esports officially made its debut as a medal event, during which Chinese players won four gold medals across seven categories, the industry observers highlighted the trends of esports not just within the country but across the world.
According to Nicholas Khoo, advisor to the Board of Directors of the Global Esports Federation, the determination and focus put into esports are no different from those in other sports that require physical strength.
[WHAT’S HAPPENING] Esports as a Key Economic Driver
Adding to the importance of such a competitive industry in the digitally driven market in the world, Irina Bokova, the former director-general of UNESCO, took the centre stage of the International Esports Development Forum, sharing, “Esports today is driving the digital economy, which remains a primary engine of global growth. Within this ecosystem, esports is rapidly emerging as a transformative force.
It is redefining the boundaries between entertainment, sports, and technology while forging connections that transcend international borders and linguistic barriers.”
Her statement regarding the perspective of the public towards esports, since according to the report released by the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association in 2024, the number of esports users in China has reached 490 million in 2024, making it the largest user of esports in the world.
As a result, the sales revenue of the industry has experienced an increase of 4.62 per cent as compared to the previous year, which is 27.57 billion yuan (about 3.85 billion U.S. dollars) in 2024 only.
While esports has served as a major contributor to the global economy, the sport has represented much more than just competitive gaming. The increasing use of esports has encouraged users to integrate their daily educational and training lifestyle with different emerging technologies like AR, VR, and AI.
As per Li Xiaolei, vice chairman of the China Culture Administration Association, the esports industry has stood as a testing platform for the upcoming innovations like network, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence. In addition to this, he said, “From the perspective of culture, through innovative storytelling and character-based performances, esports is taking Chinese stories to the world in a way that resonates with young people.”
Pankaj Kapoor’s Take on the 2025 Global Digital Economy Conference
From the writer’s perspective, the collective participation of different leaders and stakeholders from different authorities and companies in the 2025 Global Digital Economy Conference indicates how serious China is regarding the growth of esports. While the world is fully being driven by digital platforms, the organization of such forums and conferences will certainly lead to a positive direction, eventually contributing to the global economy.
I hope every country realizes the importance of esports in the coming days and takes it as seriously as they can, so nobody is left behind the innovation and its growing culture.
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