At the Esports Summit in Atlanta (October 2025), Todd Harris, board chair of the Network of Academic and Scholastic Esports Federations (NASEF), sat down with Frank Liu, CEO of TT Esports, for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, education, and the future of global esports.

Their perspectives on the worldwide ecosystem of esports are valuable for scholastic leaders and the professional esports community as they work to develop the next generation of talent, which includes game players as well as the wide variety of roles that make up the industry. 

From Player to CEO: A Personal Journey

Frank Liu (or Liu Yifei) has a path through esports that is anything but linear. A lifelong competitor, Liu twice won the Shanghai Championship in the League of Legends National Competition as a player. Later, as a coach, he led his team to a top-four finish in the League of Legends National Competition. 

As the CEO of TT Esports, Liu has led the club to win more than 50 domestic and international titles, including runner-up at the 2025 Esports World Cup (Honor of Kings), national championships in PUBG Mobile, League of Legends: Wild Rift, and Honor of Kings, as well as contributing to two gold medals for the Chinese national team at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. 

Liu is not only the CEO of TT Esports, he also serves as Vice President of Quwan Technology Group, as well as Vice President of the Guangdong Esports Association and Adjunct Professor of MTA Program, Sun Yat-sen University. With over a decade of extensive experience in the esports industry, Liu has become one of the most influential figures in China’s esports scene. He was honored with the 2021 Esports Professional of the Year award by Weibo. 

Education is also important to Liu. He holds an EMBA from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Currently, he is a specially appointed esports expert for the Department of Physical Education at Peking University, a postgraduate industry mentor at Sun Yat-sen University, and deputy chief editor of Introduction to Esports Commentary, a foundational textbook for training the next generation of esports professionals.

Liu commented, “Strictly speaking, I didn’t transition directly from being a player to a coach or manager. Even after taking on managerial roles, I continued to participate in various competitions. These experiences have helped me better understand how to support players in their growth, whether in terms of skills, mindset, or career development. This has also shaped a distinctive feature of my team: we are more willing to give young players competitive opportunities, and we have a well-established youth training system.”

For Liu, esports was always about more than games. It was the honor of competition and the pursuit of excellence that drew him in. Over the past decade, he has watched esports become increasingly professionalized, sports-oriented, and global, with events like the Asian Games, Esports World Cup, World Nations Cup, and Olympics on the horizon. Esports organizations worldwide are now more closely connected than ever.  

Inside China’s Esports Ecosystem

When asked what makes China’s esports ecosystem unique, Liu pointed to two defining factors.

First is the long-term investment by major game publishers such as Tencent, Moonton, and NetEase. Their sustained contributions greatly benefit the industry's development by attracting better talent, offering more competitive compensation, and creating more impactful tournaments.

Second is the explosive growth of mobile esports. China has over 300 million mobile esports users and is the global leader in popular titles including Honor of Kings, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and PUBG Mobile. This scale has accelerated innovation, talent discovery, and professional pathways at a pace few regions can match.

Corporate investment remains the primary driver of this growth, supported by government policy and early-stage education initiatives. While universities and institutions are increasingly involved, Liu sees significant room for expansion in formal esports education.

East vs. West: Different Strengths, Shared Opportunities

Comparing China and North America, Liu highlighted both structural and cultural differences.

China’s massive population gives it a deeper talent pool, which can be a competitive advantage in global events such as the Esports World Cup and future Olympic-style competitions. North America, however, benefits from English-language dominance and globally influential platforms like YouTube and Instagram. As a result, North American creators and esports personalities often have broader international reach.

Each region, Liu noted, has lessons to learn from the other. Chinese esports must strengthen its presence in English-speaking markets, while North America should invest more deeply in player development to remain competitive on the world stage. In both cases, education plays a critical role.

Education and Professionalization

Beyond competition, Liu is deeply invested in education. As a contributor to one of China’s foundational esports commentary textbooks and a mentor at leading universities, he sees formal education as essential to sustainable industry growth.

Esports education in China is still emerging, with limited teaching materials and a shortage of trained instructors. Yet this also means enormous potential. Structured programs help students develop gaming skills but also allows them to realize through specialized training whether they are well-suited for a career in esports. This practical approach mirrors many of the goals championed by NASEF through its scholastic esports programs in North America and around the world.

Liu described a diverse educational landscape in China that includes vocational programs, amateur training, and brand-led lectures, each serving different learners. As Liu noted, “formal education is crucial for both students and professional players; it provides proper guidance, enhances skills effectively, and supports long-term career planning.”

Global Competition and Local Identity

As esports becomes more global, Liu emphasized the balance between local identity and international competition. TT Esports, based in Guangzhou, serves as a cultural ambassador for its city and province, benefiting from strong local support.

“But global competition is so different,” Liu said. “No one cares where you come from or how famous you are in your city or country. The only thing is winning. Strong results bring respect, and create value.”

This reality drives TT Esports’ ambition to compete in as many international tournaments as possible while expanding partnerships with high potential programs in competitive play and offering valuable professional mobile esports training services.  

TT Esports also recognizes the importance of comprehensive esports education programs. Through its partnership with NASEF, the organization is gaining exposure to a wide range of leaders in scholastic esports around the world. Soon, the organization will offer NASEF’s Beyond the Game challenges to students in China, expanding their understanding of the ecosystem of careers including video production, casting and streaming, game development, and more. Additionally, NASEF and TT Esports are collaborating to establish student exchange programs, beginning in the summer of 2026 with an American high school group that will experience esports in Shanghai. TT Esports will provide a player bootcamp, as well as opportunities for students to tour its facility and meet staff working in marketing, partnership development, and more. 

Advice for the Next Generation

To close the conversation, Liu offered advice for young entrepreneurs hoping to bridge East and West through esports: “Start first, and solve problems along the way. Consider the risks. Life is long, so don’t risk everything on the first step.”

This conversation at the Esports Summit underscored a shared truth across regions: winning games in esports is important, but the bigger picture includes building culture, developing talent, and creating pathways that allow young people to thrive, in competition and beyond.