The 2026 Identity V IVL Summer Season Finals will be held at the Tianhe stadium in Guangzhou's Tianhe district from Aug 20 to 23, marking another milestone in Tianhe's burgeoning esports scene.

The event followed the XSE Pro League, a premier Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) event organized by Xinsai Esports at the South China Agricultural University Sports Complex in Tianhe in July.  XSE Pro League was the first A-Tier international CS event in Guangzhou.

Tianhe is capitalizing on policy support, industrial clusters and supporting events to establish itself as a world-class esports center. With gaming industry revenue once accounting for 33.8 percent of the national total, the district is home to major companies like NetEase, Quwan and 37 Interactive Entertainment, among others.

Since 2019, Tianhe has led the esports industry, and the district released the first esports industrial development plan of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in 2020. In May, the district released an updated white paper on the reform and innovation for the gaming industry, pioneering a "government + industrial park + industry association" model for esports development.

NetEase's Identity V being selected for the 2026 Asian Games further underscores Tianhe's competitive edge. It aims to achieve total integration as an esports hub by 2030, turning its vision of a "world-class esports center" into reality through top-tier events, targeted policies and leading enterprises. 

XSE Pro League is held at South China Agricultural University Sports Complex in Tianhe district, Guangzhou, in July. [Photo/WeChat account: tianhefabu]

NetEase's Identity V is selected for the 2026 Asian Games. [Photo/WeChat account: tianhefabu]