Filippo Gilardi is an Associate Professor in Creative Industries and Transmedia and currently the Head of the School of International Communications at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China and the Director of the Institute of Asia and Pacific Studies (IAPS) at the University of Nottingham's China campus. He is also the chief editor of the Palgrave Series in Asia and Pacific Studies. His research interests focus on media convergence, copyright protection, the development of global digital platforms, and audience studies.

Paul Martin is an Associate Professor in Digital Media and Communications in the School of International Communications at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. He conducts research on computer games and computer game culture, focusing on three main areas: game cultures, games and meaning; and game studies as an academic field. He is a founder member of the Chinese Digital Games Research Association (CDiGRA) and currently serves as its president.

Chapter 1. Introduction (Filippo Gilardi and Paul Martin). - Part I. Esports development: institutions, industries, and players. - Chapter 2. Top-Down versus Bottom-Up: Esports Tensions in Australia and Singapore (Dr Mark R Johnson, Dr James Patrick Williams). - Chapter 3. Power Play - Regulatory Frameworks of Esports in Asia and Europe (Tanja Sihvonen, Peichi Chung, Veli-Matti Karhulahti). - Chapter 4. The Neutrality of Esports Federations through the Comparative Analysis of the Japanese and Swiss Examples (Tsubasa Shinohara). - Chapter 5. In the wake of digital games: A glance at the emergence of esports in Vietnam (Dr Phan Quang Anh). - Chapter 6. The role of the government in the growth of esports industry in Vietnam. (Dr Florian Lefebvre, Dr Pham Vu Thang). - Part II. Progamers and marketing agents: cultural and professional challenges. - Chapter 7. Regional Flows of Labour in Esports: Political, Cultural and Professional Challenges (Yelin Zhao, Hao Luo). - Chapter 8. ESports Dreamings : Pro-gamers and game players in South Korea (Eunkyoung Choi). - Chapter 9. Friend or Foe? Consumer stewards as marketing agents in e-sports (Yan Han Wang, Hélène de Burgh-Woodman, Dr Keri Spooner). - Part III. Esports audiences: platforms, marginalisation, and homophobia. - Chapter 10. The Role of Mobile Devices in Malaysian esports (Dr Kyle Moore). - Chapter 11. Constructing an authentic esports spectator through fans' performances of Australianness (Dr David Cumming). - Chapter 12. Homophobia in Competitive Online Gaming (Angelo James F. Esperanzate). - Chapter 13. Conclusion (Dr Filippo Gilardi and Dr Paul Martin)

"This book as one of the first academic discourses on the Asia-Pacific esports sphere advances a new horizon in esports and game studies. By dexterously engaging with three different perspectives, including macro, meso, and micro levels of discussions, this book provides fascinating discussions fully supported by a multitude of theoretical and methodological frameworks. The quality of analyses by both leading and emerging scholars posits this book as an essential read for scholars and students alike."

- Dal Yong Jin, Distinguished SFU Professor. Simon Fraser University, Canada

This is an edited book that fills a gap in knowledge by providing a comprehensive view of esports practice from the Asia and Pacific region. The volume looks at the development of esports through the interconnections between institutions, industries, players, and society, across the Asia-Pacific. Over the last two decades, the Asia-Pacific region has been central to the growth and development of esports. The value of this book lies in its ability to provide a view of esport from countries that are currently underrepresented in the literature such as Vietnam, Singapore, Philippines and Australia while still integrating chapters looking at more well-researched countries such as China, Korea, and Japan.

Filippo Gilardi is an Associate Professor in Creative Industries and Transmedia and currently the Head of the School of International Communications and the Director of the Institute of Asia and Pacific Studies (IAPS) at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. His research interests focus on media convergence, copyright protection, the development of global digital platforms, and audience studies.

Paul Martin is an Associate Professor in Digital Media and Communications in the School of International Communications at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. He conducts research on computer games and computer game culture, focusing on three main areas: game cultures, games and meaning; and game studies as an academic field. He is a founder member of the Chinese Digital Games Research Association (CDiGRA) and currently serves as its president.

chapters "Introduction to Esports in the Asia-Pacific" and "Conclusions to Esports in the Asia-Pacific" are available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.