NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — The NBA 2K League will add a team in Shanghai for the 2020 season, the eSports league’s first franchise outside of North America.
The NBA-affiliated league announced the addition on Thursday.
The Shanghai club will be operated by eSports organization Gen.G and will join 22 existing teams, all of which are operated by NBA franchises.
The 2K League, run by the NBA, partnered with internet giant Tencent to stream games in China for the first time in July.
The Shanghai team will train at Gen.G’s Los Angeles headquarters during the 2020 season.
The majority of the 2K League’s matches take place at its studio in New York City, although the league also held tournaments in Las Vegas and Orlando, Florida, in 2019.
Gen.G’s investors include Los Angeles Clippers alternate governor Dennis Wong. The group’s Seoul Dynasty competes in the Overwatch League.
“This is a historic moment in the NBA 2K League’s journey to becoming a truly global league with fans, franchises and players from all over the world,” said NBA 2K League Managing Director Brendan Donohue.
“Gen.G is the ideal organization to launch our first team from outside of North America, and we look forward to working with Gen.G to reach new fans in Shanghai and identify elite talent across Asia.”
© Agence France-Presse