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.
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.
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