The Chinese esports industry has seen a small comeback from the negative impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), thanks to the announcement of several new competitions and sponsorships last week.

However, disruptions are still frequent in the industry. Chinese Dota 2 organization Team Aster won the StarLadder ImbaTV Dota 2 Minor in Kiev, and qualified for the ESL One Los Angeles Major. At the time of writing, three of five players still haven’t received  U.S. visas. Zhili, the CEO of Team Aster told The Esports Observer it is also looking for alternative players as a backup plan, in case players fail in visa applications or are late for the event.

Among the top stories: China’s state-run media China Central Television (CCTV) plans to broadcast the first Chinese esports documentary, “Esports In China,” on its main channel; NetEase will launch the $120K Warcraft III Gold Team competition; Vici Gaming Dota 2 team signed a sponsorship deal with betting operator JBO; Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok donated $25K to South Korea to help contain the coronavirus outbreak in South Korea; and esports will feature as a medal sport at the 2021 Asian Indoor and Martial Art Games.