In 1999, Ma Tianyuan, the top StarCraft player, won China’s first WCG World Finals championship with a domestically-made A4Tech 4D mouse that required frequent cleaning. As a pioneer of Chinese esports, his story intertwined gaming peripherals with the sport itself, a connection that endures to this day.
On March 9th at the 2024 Jade Kirin Alliance Fan Meeting and A4Tech Barbarian Tribe Developer Conference in Yancheng, Jade Kirin once again defied expectations, introducing something unconventional.
The alliance unveiled three tournaments, each targeting industry pain points.
Jade Kirin Alliance has developed its unique channels, including over 1,000 internet cafes and esports venues across the country, as well as a presence in 500 university communities spanning major cities nationwide.
The alliance’s other arm – it currently counts more than 20 top streamers as part of its MCN organization. These streamers, under Jade Kirin’s financial backing, consistently generate cross-community discussions.
The Jade Kirin Esports Alliance model can be understood as a simple loop from alliance to tournament to player.
This time, Jade Kirin mainly launched three tournaments. One is the ongoing Jade Kirin University League, with the new edition named the Barbarian Tribe Cup Jade Kirin University League, offering a total prize pool of 1 million yuan. The competition will expand to nearly 32 provinces and municipalities, involving over 1,000 universities and more than 10,000 participants.
The other is the Jade Kirin City Championship, ingeniously incorporating internet cafes – popular gathering spots for gamers – much like the globally popular WCG events of yesteryear, promoting “mass participation.”
The third event this year is the Jade Kirin Talent Scout Tournament, open only to players under 20 years old. Winning candidates will be sent directly to Europe for training, with all expenses covered by the Jade Kirin Alliance.
After announcing these tournaments, Jade Kirin dropped a bombshell: KennyS, the world-renowned sniper, was coming to China after a five-year absence, signing with the alliance.
As a retired player joining Jade Kirin’s MCN, KennyS is expected to become a super-streamer and, naturally, help sell products.
After all, the endgame of influence is often sales. Speaking of sales, the story of A4Tech Barbarian Tribe’s involvement in the Jade Kirin University League is just beginning.
What’s the nature of A4Tech and Jade Kirin’s collaboration?
A4Tech, a favorite among early esports enthusiasts, boasts a massive user base and high brand recognition as the first national gaming peripheral brand. Now, the company is under the leadership of Zheng Weiteng’s daughter Zheng Yaning. From our conversation with Ms. Zheng, we learned three key points:
First, the A4Tech brand remains strong and healthy, selling in over 50 countries worldwide. It continues to dominate the internet cafe market.
Second, A4Tech has its own factory and R&D team, handling everything from raw materials to product development in-house. Self-developed innovation has always driven the A4Tech brand.
Third, A4Tech’s sub-brand “Barbarian Tribe” will integrate deeply with the Jade Kirin Alliance for joint product development and sales.
Barbarian Tribe is a standalone product line under A4Tech’s esports brand Bloodhand Spirit, with each character designed to have a unique personality and visual identity.
Through feedback from Jade Kirin’s KOLs, A4Tech can continually refine product details. Future Barbarian Tribe peripherals, including keyboards, mice, and headphones, will be co-developed with Jade Kirin Alliance’s influencers.
Among Jade Kirin Alliance’s numerous internet cafe partners, most are long-time A4Tech customers, and many of the alliance’s prominent streamers will be involved in this collaboration. Together, they aim to create a synergy between the alliance, brands, venues, and players.
Today, the quality of domestic brands is no less than international competitors.
By partnering with an organization like Jade Kirin that’s deeply rooted in the community, A4Tech’s Barbarian Tribe can better understand users’ needs and quickly establish connections. Given the FPS genre’s demanding users, this partnership also allows for refining products.
Ms. Zheng admits that this collaboration places a greater emphasis on conversion goals. With the majority of A4Tech’s agents being long-term clients for over 15 years, they have confidence in sales.
A4Tech’s development model aligns with Jade Kirin’s long-termism, focusing on investment, output, continuous optimization, and feedback. This shared philosophy likely laid the foundation for their partnership.
Ms. Zheng asserts that as Chinese, they should have confidence to compete with overseas brands. The Chinese spirit of craftsmanship is well-suited to pursuing excellence in product performance, regardless of profit. This, she believes, is not about making more money but proving that Chinese brands can excel too.
A charismatic esports event organizer that prioritizes players’ enjoyment, paired with a veteran domestic gaming peripheral brand daring to test