Guangzhou Gaming (GZG), an esports club rooted in Guangzhou's Haizhu District, has secured a landmark berth at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 in Paris, marking the first time a professional esports club from Haizhu has reached the global stage of competitive gaming.
In late May, GZG defeated a top-tier Mongolian team at the MLBB Championship Tour East Asia, securing the sole main-stage berth for China and East Asia in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), one of EWC's core titles.
The squad departed for Paris on July 20 for the main event, which runs from July 6 to August 23, featuring over 200 clubs and more than 2,000 players from over 100 countries, with a record $75 million prize pool across 24 game titles. Earlier, GZG had already established an overseas operation base in Southeast Asia and won a national championship in Vietnam, setting the stage for this breakthrough.
GZG's rise has been fueled by Guangzhou's coordinated esports ecosystem and cross-border service support. Since landing in the Pazhou Artificial Intelligence and Digital Economy Pilot Zone in 2025, the club has benefited from full-chain industry backing ranging from training and content incubation to event operation services.
Haizhu District has rolled out a gaming and esports industry policy, covering R&D, digital marketing, overseas distribution and esports development. Under the policy, single project can receive a maximum subsidy of five million yuan and championship clubs are eligible for rewards of up to three million yuan. Major events hosted in 2026 include the national and global finals of Teamfight Tactics (international) and Golden Spatula (China), as well as the XPL CS2 Guangzhou International Invitational, alongside fan-focused activations integrating esports with commerce and tourism.
Currently, Haizhu is home to nearly 3,500 gaming-related enterprises, with industry revenue reaching 6.02 billion yuan in the first five months of 2026, a 12.1 percent year-on-year increase. With GZG's Paris campaign as a catalyst, the district aims to incubate more homegrown "esports + commercial districts + culture and tourism" IPs, turning youth-driven esports momentum into lasting urban consumption and digital economic growth, as Guangzhou pushes steadily toward its goal of becoming an international esports capital.
Author | Jiang Chang
Photo | Guangzhou Daily
