PC bang sales South Korea 2015-2022
In 2022, the sales revenue of PC bangs stood at around 1.9 trillion South Korean won. While this represents an increase compared to the previous year, revenue has still not returned to pre-pandemic levels. PC bangs are LAN gaming centers that developed from internet cafes.
The success of PC bangs
When Starcraft gained popularity in South Korea, PC bangs equally gained popularity. They are visited by casual and competitive gamers alike, and are often used because of their gaming equipment and their internet speed. Nevertheless, one of the most important reasons for visiting a PC bang, besides using high-end computers, was spending time with friends. Due to the social aspect of PC bangs, many use them to play video games together. PC bangs are often mentioned as the reason for the early development of professional gaming leagues in South Korea.
League of Legends
South Korean gamers are known to be among the best players of League of Legends (LoL) worldwide. South Korea’s top League of Legends player, who goes by the gamer ID Faker, has earned around 1.57 million U.S. dollars in prize money alone. He has won the World Championships four times, the only LoL player to do so. In the League of Legends World Championships, South Korean teams have won first place from 2013 throughout 2017. While the winning streak broke, there was another Korean win in 2020, and a second streak has begun as of 2022. Meanwhile, the game is also still highly popular among non-professional gamers in South Korea. As of November 2023, League of Legends is still making up for the majority of total play time in PC bangs.
The success of PC bangs
When Starcraft gained popularity in South Korea, PC bangs equally gained popularity. They are visited by casual and competitive gamers alike, and are often used because of their gaming equipment and their internet speed. Nevertheless, one of the most important reasons for visiting a PC bang, besides using high-end computers, was spending time with friends. Due to the social aspect of PC bangs, many use them to play video games together. PC bangs are often mentioned as the reason for the early development of professional gaming leagues in South Korea.
League of Legends
South Korean gamers are known to be among the best players of League of Legends (LoL) worldwide. South Korea’s top League of Legends player, who goes by the gamer ID Faker, has earned around 1.57 million U.S. dollars in prize money alone. He has won the World Championships four times, the only LoL player to do so. In the League of Legends World Championships, South Korean teams have won first place from 2013 throughout 2017. While the winning streak broke, there was another Korean win in 2020, and a second streak has begun as of 2022. Meanwhile, the game is also still highly popular among non-professional gamers in South Korea. As of November 2023, League of Legends is still making up for the majority of total play time in PC bangs.
