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Xiaofei Xu

Hundreds of rapt fans sat in a convention hall in Paris recently, erupting into cheers after a competitor darted across the scene and left two opponents dead within seconds.
The victims were only pixels on a screen, as the setting was a friendly esports match where leading players exhibited their skills in Honor of Kings, Tencent Holdings’ top mobile game.
One of the most recognised stars on that stage was Chen Zhengzheng, better known as Cat. Holder of five international championships, the 28-year-old made his career by moving two thumbs on a phone screen.
“When I first turned pro, I had no idea this many people would be watching,” Chen told the South China Morning Post earlier this month. “Later I found out that, wow, there are actually people buying tickets and travelling to different cities just to watch me play. That’s pretty amazing.”
The distance between Chen’s hometown in the eastern province of Shandong and the French capital, site of this year’s Esports World Cup (EWC), provides one measuring stick for the stunning growth that competitive gaming has seen in China over the past decade.
Chen started playing Honor of Kings in 2015 and soon started joining competitions. The first competition he took part in was in the southern Chinese city of Changsha. He recalled that it seemed far away at the time, as getting there required a night on China’s “green train”, an infamously slow but cheap mode of transport.
His emergence as a competitive player coincided with the take-off of China’s esports industry, which started a phase of “explosive growth” in 2014, according to a report by iResearch. The number of people competing in or regularly watching esports rocketed from 80 million that year to 511 million a decade later, according to the market intelligence firm.

The popularity helped Chen’s parents understand and accept this career path. They initially had no idea what esports was, or whether it was even legal. What changed their mind was seeing him play during the final in 2017, which attracted a crowd of close to 10,000 fans.
“I won that year, and when I walked down from the stage, the facial expression my dad gave me – I’ve never seen it before – he was so proud of me,” Chen said. “And I think that’s when they discovered what competitive gaming means.”
Chen’s parents never banned him from playing video games, but for a long time, many in Chinese society have associated gaming with “internet addiction”, leading to treatment camps that became a national scandal in 2018.
Meanwhile, money poured into esports. Chen’s transfer between two clubs in 2017 became headline news for its value: 1 million yuan (US$148,000).
“I was so stunned that I was worth that much money,” Chen said. “It was beyond anything I could imagine.”
Many fans believed the 1 million yuan was Chen’s income, when in reality it was a payment between the two clubs. Some turned on him, accusing him of ditching his old club for money. Eventually fans became more aware of how such transactions worked, Chen said.
As gaming continued to grow, what was once unimaginable soon became unremarkable: in 2021 when Chen changed teams again, the deal was worth 15 million yuan.
When I first started at the age of 18, I hoped for someone who could pass down his experience to me. Now I can help the newcomers.
Chen Zhengzheng
Having announced his retirement earlier this year, Chen became a coach for one of the teams competing in Honor of Kings. He said he saw himself in the industry for at least another 10 years.
“When I first started at the age of 18, I hoped for someone who could pass down his experience to me,” he said. “Now I can help the newcomers.”
During his time as a player, Chen received many messages from fans telling him how much watching him fight through obstacles inspired them in their daily lives. Now, that is the most important lesson he wants to teach those who follow him.
“With esports getting this much attention, and so many viewers expecting something of it, what we can do as players and coaches is to give them a more positive and optimistic mindset to take into their own lives,” he said.


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Chen Zhengzheng, legendary competitor in Tencent’s top mobile game, looks back and forward as he transitions to coaching at 28


Chen Zhengzheng, legendary competitor in Tencent’s top mobile game, looks back and forward as he transitions to coaching at 28.


China’s ‘Cat’, Honor of Kings great, reflects on his gaming career amid the esports explosion

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Chen Zhengzheng, legendary competitor in Tencent’s top mobile game, looks back and forward as he transitions to coaching at 28

Chen Zhengzheng, legendary competitor in Tencent’s top mobile game, looks back and forward as he transitions to coaching at 28