It was another significant pro-gaming step from the government after the General Administration of Sport of China recognized e-sports as the country's 99th athletic event in 2003 amid debates over whether it should be considered sport at all.
There is no debating the fact, though, that the traditional sporting world is taking notice of e-sports' rampant growth.
"E-sports has specific rules and time limits designed specifically for person-to-person intellectual competition, whereas playing online games is just a pastime for personal recreation," said Ding Dong, director of the information center at the GASC, the sport's governing body in China. "There is a clear distinction between the two."
The endorsements of top athletes are also adding to e-sports' kudos.
One of the keenest and most knowledgeable celebrities watching the action at the League of Legends World Championship was former short-track speed skater Wang Meng.
"The development of e-sports will go beyond a lot of people's imagination," said Wang, who won four gold medals at the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics, at the Bird's Nest.
"If you came here to experience the grand final, you will be overwhelmed by the passion of fans that is comparable to any other major sport."
In the past few years, government-funded e-sports towns have mushroomed across the country in lower-tier cities such as Kunshan, Jiangsu province, and Chengdu in Sichuan province, with the lucrative industry providing a big boost to local economies.
The government's push makes demographic sense, too. Tencent's Penguin report showed that 41 percent of e-sports fans live in second-tier cities, followed by 17 percent in third-tier centers.
Corporate battle
Not surprisingly, internet service providers are vying for the biggest piece of the e-sports pie by developing new games, purchasing overseas titles and hosting events.
Boasting a vast user base and a plethora of social-media platforms, internet giant Tencent has become the most influential and profitable e-sports entity in China.
The company now operates seven professional leagues, such as the KPL and LPL, which cover the six major gaming genres, including MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena games) and FPS (first-person shooters).
The company, which derived 46 percent of its 2016 revenue from its online gaming segment, signed an agreement with Wuhu, Anhui province, in May to build an e-sports hub before unveiling a plan in October to invest at least 30 million yuan to build a media center in Shanghai to provide livestreaming feeds for 10 broadcasting partners.
"The successful operation of major e-sports leagues by Tencent has provided a benchmark in the industry and we are pushing it forward in streaming distribution, gamers' management and clubs' commercial operations," said Zhang Yijia, director of Tencent Interactive Entertainment's mobile e-sports department.
Alisports, the sports arm of e-commerce behemoth Alibaba, has also jumped on the bandwagon after launching the Alisports World Electronic Sports Games last March - touted as the world's highest paying e-sports series with 1,200 events planned across 15 Chinese cities and offering a total prize purse of $5.5 million.
In April, Alisports announced a strategic partnership with the Olympic Council of Asia to jointly add e-sports as an official medal event in the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where Alibaba has its headquarters.
Talent search
There are no shortage of gamers, but, with e-sports evolving exponentially, the industry is experiencing a talent shortage at other levels of its operation.
According to the E-sports Industry Talent Supply and Demand Survey released by Tencent, only 15 percent of the positions within the industry have sufficient human resources.
The survey also revealed that, until 2020, the industry will need to fill a total of 570,000 positions in league management, media production, data mining, commentating and training.
In September 2016, the Ministry of Education listed "E-sports and Management" as a major for colleges, paving the way for higher-education institutes to offer e-sports-related courses and official diplomas.
Starting from the beginning of this year, the Communication University of China has added an e-sports-dedicated subject entitled "digital media art", aimed at developing gaming management and design talent.
The renowned Shanghai Theater Academy, meanwhile, is offering an e-sports commentating course, starting from the fall semester. Forty students have enrolled in the major.
