I think one key thing is they managed to get org to invest is what really stood out for me on their CNVAL plans
like: NiP? 4AM? AG? Lots of LPL & KPL teams?
sure the player quality is still far behind but that's what you expect when orgs cant even put full investment before approval because the govt ready to yeet you to hell for doing that (like what they did with PUBG for few months)
we see that being what both CrossFire and Perfect World's CS trying to get for the Mainland for so many years but it didnt really go explosive.
CF stuck themself with only 10 orgs in a franchise and pulled worse than overwatch moves by having no T2. While CS werent moving much with PPL (and the fact that to this day, Perfect World still doesnt have a True National Chinese league as PPL is All-Asian)
This VCT CN and EVO thing comes in to fill the void where
- One game has no Actual Tier 2
- The other has no Actual National League
This also tops with anything riot will sold well in CN (considering the even unsuccessful Wild Rift still nets 50M+ players monthly over there)
It cause so much effect CrossFire went on panic mode by suddenly announcing a rework of their whole franchising the next year tells a lot, when they refused to do it for so many years just because there's no one else to compete with them not even CS on the national esports scene