Suzhou Tianba win the 2024 PEL Spring Championship, on May 19, 2024. Photos: Courtesy of VSPO

The Esports Asian Champions League (ACL), Asia's first international comprehensive esports competition, was launched in Shanghai on Tuesday. Wang Xinyang, co-founder and executive director of VSPO, noted that the tournament will consolidate the relatively fragmented esports system in Asia, with esports expected to become more standardized and internationalized in the near future.

"Asia is by far, when you talk about esports, the strongest region in the world. With the ACL, to be able to bring and unite all these players together under one tournament is truly fantastic," Honorary Chairman of the ACL and Chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan told the Global Times.

Vice President of the International Olympic Committee Ng Ser Miang, along with esports players from around the world, participated in this summit to discuss the further maturation and development of the esports ecosystem in China and across Asia, while also preparing for the inaugural Olympic Esports Games to be held in Saudi Arabia in 2025.

Shaping future of esports

In July 2024, China initiated the establishment of an esports working group within the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), with the VSPO leading the creation of new international standards for esports. The hosting of the ACL tournament signifies that the VSPO will also begin setting benchmarks for future cloud-based, immersive virtual sports events.

The inaugural ACL tournament plans to set up "Skyring" esports arenas in several core countries and regions across Asia, once again creating a high-precision, cross-regional, and transformative XR gaming competition zone. This will provide an unprecedented level of immersion and interactivity for viewers, marking a new milestone in the esports experience.

Zeng Zhuowei, the reigning Street Fighter 6 World Champion, stressed the importance of both mass participation and professional care in the esports industry, noting that both are indispensable. 

"Looking back at my first time competing abroad, since I was playing multiple events, I had very short breaks in between. I was so exhausted that I even fell asleep standing up. In such situations, it's really hard to maintain peak performance. So, a tournament that ensures a great fan experience while also giving players ample rest time would be the ideal format," he said.

To stay true to the grassroots nature of esports while ensuring professional players get enough rest, the ACL tournament offers various types of open qualifiers, providing opportunities for non-professional players. Through a rigorous selection process, it has created a dedicated path for talented "grassroots" players to rise through the ranks.

"As esports become a widely recognized form of sport, thanks to their success at the Asian Games, the Olympic Esports Week, and the Esports World Cup, we believe that international multi-title esports tournaments represent the future of the industry, and the ACL marks a commitment to that future," Ying Dino, founder of the VSPO, told the Global Times.

Ying also noted that the hosting of top-tier esports events, particularly the Olympic Esports Games, will be a milestone event for the industry, significantly enhancing the global integration of esports resources.

The 2024 PEL Spring Final held in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province in May 2024

China power

The diversification and globalization of esports have been further accelerated by the emergence of domestically produced AAA games like Black Myth: Wukong, elevating the status of Chinese games on the international stage and boosting the development and cooperation of the global esports market.

"I don't think Black Myth: Wukong represents the beginning of a new era for Chinese games, as Chinese games have long held an important position on the world stage. The arrival of Black Myth: Wukong further proves the strength of Chinese games and the country's ability to export culture," Faisal noted.

Whether it's traditional games like Black Myth: Wukong or the booming development of esports, both demonstrate that China's gaming industry is steadily increasing its global influence and competitiveness.

Esports have been officially recognized as the 99th sports category in China. In the first half of 2024, China's esports industry achieved a total revenue of 12 billion yuan ($1.8 billion), an increase of 4.43 percent year-on-year. The actual sales revenue of China's esports gaming market reached 69.143 billion yuan, a year-on-year growth of 7.24 percent. China firmly holds the position as the world's largest esports market in terms of production scale, the number of users, and growth rate.

"The inclusion of esports as a profession has not only promoted professionalization and standardization, but also led to the establishment of related majors in several universities to meet future market demand," a gaming expert and Hearthstone competitive player ranked in the top 100 in China surnamed Luo, told the Global Times. 

"Chinese government has provided strong support to the esports industry, with a series of policy documents highlighting its crucial role in new consumption and economic growth," he added.