(Yicai Global) Sept. 9 -- Arena of Valor has been included in the list of the official medal sports at the 2022 Asian Games along with seven other video game titles.

The games are Arena of Valor Asian Games Version, Dota 2, Dream Three Kingdoms 2, EA Sports FIFA, HearthStone, League of Legends, Peacekeeper Elite’s Asian Version PUBG Mobile and Street Fighter V, the Olympic Council of Asia announced on its website yesterday.

Esports were added to the Asian Games sports program at the OCA General Assembly in Muscat, Oman last December. That means the medals won in the esports competition will count in the official medal rankings from next September’s games, which will be held in Hangzhou, China.

The event also set up two demonstration games, Robot Masters and VR Sports, whose medals will not count in the official rankings. Esports were the demonstration event at the 2018 Asian Games held in Jakarta, Indonesia. Arena of Valor and League of Legends were two of the selected titles.

“I believe we have ticked all the right boxes ensuring a high level of competition which promises great viewing for enthusiasts and casuals alike,” said OCA Director-General Husain Al-Musallam.

The Asian Games, organized by the Olympic Council of Asia since 1982, is a multi-sport tournament held every four years. Athletes from all over the region can participate in the event, which is considered to be the second-biggest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games.

Chinese regulators recently issued new rules limiting the time minors came play online video games to between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays. Game developers under internet titan Tencent Holdings subsequently announced that underage players will not be allowed to take part in esports competitions.

It has not been confirmed yet whether the esports events at the 2022 Asian Games will also restrict the participation of minors.

Editor: Futura Costaglione