Asian video game fans get all dressed up for BlizzCon 2017, and no wonder – they’ve been key to Blizzard studio’s US$2b success

The makers of Starcraft, World of Warcraft and Overwatch, some of the world’s most played games, say they owe much of their popularity to avid fans from Asia, who love cosplay, and tend to dominate global tournaments

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Crowds at BlizzCon 2017, where the Asian fan presence was strong. Photo: Ben Sin

Published: 8:00pm, 12 Nov 2017Updated: 9:34am, 15 Nov 2017

Blizzard Entertainment, the Southern California studio behind some of the biggest gaming franchises, sees on average more than 40 million online players each month across its titles, including World of Warcraft, the world’s most popular subscription-based MMOP (massively multiplayer online role-playing game), and Overwatch, widely voted as the best video game regardless of platform of 2016.

With an annual revenue of more than US$2 billion, and hordes of devoted cosplay fans, Blizzard is undoubtedly doing well. And part of that success, according to the company’s founders, comes down to having a big following in Asia.

Cosplayers at BlizzCon 2017 in Anaheim, California. Photo: AFP

Co-founder Frank Pearce recalls when he attended a StarCraft tournament in South Korea in the early 2000s he was amazed by how many fans there were “and how passionate they were”. It was at that point that Pearce realised Blizzard, based in the nice but boring suburbs of Irvine, California, had become a global company that appeals to a worldwide audience, particularly this region.

In the years since, Asia has increasingly become the centre of the universe for Blizzard franchises.

A cosplayer at BlizzCon 2017. Photo: AFP

Global tournaments of titles, such as StarCraft 2, Overwatch, and League of Legends, are dominated by South Korean players. China, with its huge population and spending power, has become a major market for Blizzard, despite the usual government red tape; and earlier this year, Blizzard opened its first e-sports stadium in Taipei. Meanwhile Southeast Asia is considered the region with most room for growth in the genre.

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The presence of Asians was keenly felt at this month’s BlizzCon, the studio’s annual convention; 30,000 fans packed the Anaheim Convention Centre, many decked out in full cosplay costumes.