Women’s Esports in Hong Kong

This chapter seeks to contribute to discussions of gender-based challenges in women’s esports by adding a regional layer. It explores the phenomenon of women’s esports as manifested in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China. The chapter suggests that the framework of the idol (idoru) system—originally Japanese but nowadays largely Asian—helps in understanding the dynamics and branding of Hong Kong women’s esports teams. This perspective invites discussion related to the various commercial interests and powers behind one of the most popular esports teams in Hong Kong, PandaCute.