The unified e-sports organization JeSU has been launched

 ■The unified e-sports organization JeSU has been launched       

 

The founding presentation of the Japan e-Sports Union (JeSU), a corporation, has been held in Shinjuku. It is the launch of a unified organization for e-sports.

Through the cooperation of the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA) and the Japan Online Game Association (JOGA), JeSU was founded through the integration of the Japanese e-Sports Association (JeSPA), the e-Sports Promotion Organization, and the Japan e-Sports Federation.

I was a director of JeSPA; this organization was founded through a merger after disbanding it. It’s a movement with deep meaning.

 Apart from distributing pro e-sports licenses and recognizing tournaments, JeSU will carry out surveys and research, popularize tournaments, and nurture players. It aims to support players and revitalize the community.

It issues licenses per title to people who see themselves as professionals, who achieve excellent results on recognized titles in tournaments recognized by this union, and who have gone through designated training.

 The Japan e-Sports Pro License is for those aged 15 and above, and enables players to receive high-value goods and prize money.

There is also a Junior License for those aged 13 to 15.

Team licenses are also issued. They are effective for two years.

These licenses do not put any limits on players’ participation in overseas tournaments or on activities in which they appear as celebrities.

 The issuing of the pro license clears up regulations and creates an environment where large amounts of prize money can be given. As this is an area where Japan’s regulations are unique, this meeting also leads to steps that are necessary in order to turn e-sports into an industry.

 E-sports have been adopted as an official event in the 2022 Asian Games.

JeSU is moving forward with its entry to the JOC, and aims to send representative players as well as provide domestically made titles.

After that, it aims to have e-sports recognized as an official event in the Olympics.

 As we hold tournaments with prize money and provide funding to players, we aim to increase awareness of e-sports and improve the social position of players. There are many issues we must address for this purpose, and we must act in a realistic manner.

 Japan is a major player in the world of video games, but an underdeveloped country in the world of e-sports. It’s finally time for the real takeoff.