Chinese esports firm launches multi-title tournament in Asia with Saudi Arabia backing

The Esports Asian Champions League from Tencent-backed VSPO will start next year with seven to 10 undisclosed titles

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The arena for the esports exhibition at the 18th Asian Games on August 26, 2018. China has been seeking a greater foothold in the global esports industry in recent years. Photo: INASGOC via AP

Ann Caoin Shanghai

Published: 11:00am, 25 Sep 2024

Chinese esports company VSPO has announced its first multi-title tournament in Asia, marking a big push to expand its presence in the global industry with support from Saudi Arabia.

The Esports Asian Champions League (ACL) will kick off next year, with tens of thousands of professional players set to compete across the continent in a six-month season each year, VSPO announced on Tuesday. The Tencent Holdings-backed company is the biggest esports operator in Asia.

The tournament will include seven to 10 titles at launch, according to VSPO, but it did not disclose the names being considered. The two biggest video gaming companies in China – Tencent and NetEase – both had representatives at the launch event on Tuesday, raising hopes that top Chinese esports titles such as Tencent’s Honor of Kings would be included.

The tournament could bolster China’s efforts to gain a greater foothold in the global esports industry, something the country has sought as part of an effort to boost its soft power through cultural exports.

Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan and VSPO founder Dino Ying at the launch of the Esports Asian Champions League on Tuesday. Photo: Handout

The ACL has also secured support from Saudi Arabia’s Savvy Games Group, which invested US$265 million into Shanghai-based VSPO in 2023. Saudi Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, who is Savvy’s vice-chairman, took the role of ACL honorary chairman.

Speaking to media at the event on Tuesday, Al Saud said the companies aim to bring esports to audiences in a way that is different from traditional offline competitions.