Sources: Tencent TiMi Studio Group L1 Global Esports GM Resigns Over Alleged Corruption 

The man behind Tencent esports in China, Zhang Yijia, has stepped down from his role following supplier corruption allegations

Zhang Yijia, general manager of Tencent Interactive Entertainment TiMi Studio Group L1 Esports Center and chief brand officer of Honor of Kings, was forced to resign from the company—multiple sources close to Tencent told The Esports Advocate that the resignation was related to supplier corruption. “Tencent’s internal email about Zhang Yijia mentioned supplier corruption,” a source close to Tencent TiMi Studio Group confirmed with TEA.

Yijia is a big name in the Tencent Esports ecosystem: he was a key founder when Tencent established the Tencent Esports division in 2016, responsible for all the layout, production, and operation of Tencent’s top mobile esports titles Honor of Kings and QQ Speed. He is also the president of King Pro League (KPL), China’s top Honor of Kings franchise league. 

From 2017 to 2023, Tencent held the Tencent Esports Global Annual Summit, and Yijia became one of the main speakers during the summit and introduced the key esports developments of Honor of Kings and QQ Speed to attendees. He’s also the FMVP and championship presenter at Honor of Kings World Championship.

It should be noted that Tencent stopped hosting the Tencent Esports Global Annual Summit in 2024. The timing of the investigation related to Yijia and his position in Tencent Esports might have been a factor in why the company decided to shut down the event this year, though TEA cannot independently verify that, as of this writing.

It’s not clear who will replace Yijia at Tencent’s TiMi Studio Group. TEA has reached out to TiMi Studio Group for more information and will update the story if we receive a response. 

At least two major Chinese game publishers have investigated the corruption problem on a large scale over the last several years. In February, Tencent reported firing over 120 employees in 2023 due to “supplier corruption.” NetEase also reported on Nov. 8 that the company fired nine senior executives and called the Chinese police to register and investigate the criminal liability, including Xiang Lang, general manager of NetEase Battle Business Division and NetEase KK Battle Net; and Jin Yuchen, NetEase Interactive Entertainment Publishing director. All nine executives were arrested by Chinese police and have been banned from working with NetEase under any circumstances in the future. Twenty-seven (27) relevant supplier companies also received lifelong bans from partnerships with NetEase. 

An insider of NetEase, who asked not to be identified, confirmed to TEA that NetEase Battle Business Division is not in charge of NetEase’s esports competitions and operations, but mainly focuses on marketing campaigns for esports activities. Multiple esports outlets were incorrect on this division, stating the Battle Business Division was in charge of NetEase’s esports operation. The Battle Business Division used to be a group in the NetEase Marketing division. 

For more context, “supplier corruption” as it relates to gaming and esports in China, is when a supplier (a vendor) gives someone at a company it wants to do business with an illegal benefit (a bribe, or a kickback, usually hidden or buried in an invoice) to make sure it gets the business it seeks–typically this is a percentage of the value of the deal in total. For more information on Chinese laws related to corruption, check out this article from Global Legal Insights.