Mobile gaming has burst out onto the scene in Jarkarta as Arena of Valor took the stage. The Asian Games was jam packed with fans from China jeering and cheering this weekend. The team they were rooting for were not playing on computers or consoles, but iPhones. Arena of Valor is a MOBA style game created by Tencent, China’s video gaming titan, and was chosen as one of the six different games to be played at the Asian Games this year. An easy comparison is a mobile styled League of Legends. This is the first time mobile gaming has ever been performed at this style of tournament and the results look great. So great that the Asian Games are awarding medals to countries next year for esports.

Esports have taken the youth by storm across the globe, but Asia has felt the impact the most. As video games are accessible to all ages and are becoming more accepted, esports has generated millions in revenue. The Asian Games have already chosen to adopt them in whatever form they come in whether it is mobile, console, or PC games. Esports are becoming more competitive as well by creating games that are more strategic, teamwork oriented and less random. Asia was the first to adopt mobile games and the revenues show it. 55% of the total video game revenue is made from mobile game transactions. Asian phone companies have stated that they are creating phones specifically for mobile gaming such as Nubia, Razer, and Black Shark Tech. These phones are stated to run with a no lag screen at 120 Hz for fluid gameplay. With all of this specialization set toward mobile gaming, international markets should soon see the changes. The Clash Royale League has already been announced in the West and will be the first mobile game franchised league. Games like Vainglory and Turbo Racing League have seen massive success and are expected to rise at the same rate mobile esports do. Mobile esports are expected to do extremely well in Asia and it is only a matter of time till they transition westward.