According to the esports market research firm Niko Partner’s 2023 Esports in Asia and MENA Report, Asia and MENA (Middle East and North Africa) accounted for over 56% of global revenue in 2022. The global esports market is estimated to be valued at $1.3 billion. China remained the Asia and MENA region’s largest market by generating revenues of $445 million in 2022.
Despite generating the most revenue, China suffered a drop in its esports audience in 2022, down 7.8% from its previous year. However, there were increases in regional esports viewership across Asia’s other markets, notably India, Japan and Southeast Asia (SEA).
The revenue figure excludes revenue generated by esports game sales, in-app purchases and other microtransactions. It also excludes livestreaming revenue for esports titles and content creators.
In the report, Niko Partners also revealed which games were the most popular last year on PC and console. Niko Partners noted Valorant, Dota 2, and League of Legends as the regions’ big three in PC, with Apex Legends also showcasing growth in Japan. European esports organisation Fnatic expanded further into Japan by entering the Apex Legends scene last year.
Within the mobile ecosystem, Asia and MENA are largely dominated by PUBG Mobile (Peacekeeper Elite), League of Legends: Wild Rift and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
