The HERO ESPORTS Asian Champions League (ACL), Asia's premier multi-title esports tournament, hosted by leading esports company Hero Esports, officially launched on Wednesday in Shanghai, unveiling all nine game titles for its inaugural edition this year. Winners of multiple tournament titles will officially qualify for the upcoming Esports World Cup (EWC) to be held in Riyadh this summer.
The HERO ESPORTS Asian Champions League (ACL) is Asia's premier multi-title esports tournament hosted by Asia's leading esports company Hero Esports.
The full lineup of ACL includes:
- Counter-Strike 2 (CS2)
- Dota 2
- Honor of Kings
- Street Fighter 6
- The Legend Cup of League of Legends
- Teamfight Tactics
- VALORANT Champions Tour
- Delta Force
- Crossfire
This diverse lineup features some of the world's most popular games, covering four major genres: MOBA, FPS, strategy, and fighting. This broad selection guarantees an engaging viewing experience for esports fans of all gaming preferences.
Multiple titles featured by the ACL will grant direct entry to the EWC, the world's largest esports festival. Securing direct entry into the EWC is a major incentive for all teams competing in the ACL.
The EWC is hosted by the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF), a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the esports and gaming industry. As a premier annual sporting event, the EWC features a unique cross-game format that pits the world's top esports clubs against one another for the largest prize pool in esports history. The inaugural EWC in 2024 featured 1,500 elite players and 200 clubs from 100 countries. They competed in 22 tournaments across 21 games for a $60 million prize pool. The eight-week competition and festival drew 500 million views online and saw 2.6 million people attend. Returning to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the summer of 2025, the EWC will bring gaming and esports communities together again to crown the next Esports World Cup Club Champion.
The ACL Grand Finals will be held from May 16 to May 18 across multiple venues in Shanghai, with a daily attendance expected to exceed 10,000 spectators. Additionally, the offline ACL Grand Finals will collaborate with the globally renowned gaming festival DreamHack, uniting top esports players, cutting-edge gaming technology, exclusive merchandise, and thousands of passionate fans. This partnership promises an unforgettable esports spectacle for enthusiasts across Asia.
With a total prize pool of up to $2 million and thousands of participants, the ACL not only bridges the gap for multi-title international esports events in Asia but also delivers a thrilling gaming spectacle for local audiences.
Competition of the ACL Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) Tournament has already kicked off across 32 Asian cities. More than 1,000 teams from across the region have signed up, making it one of the largest CS2 tournaments in the world.
Jonny Wang, CEO of the Asian Champions League, stated, "With these nine game titles, we are confident that we'll create a comprehensive esports event that satisfies the vast majority of esports fans. It is our aspiration that the ACL will set a new standard for excellence in Asian esports."
Danny Tang, Co-Founder and CEO of Hero Esports, said: "Hero Esports created the HERO ESPORTS Asian Champions League to bridge the gap between international tournaments and regional leagues, providing a clearer pathway for talented teams to compete on the global stage. The ACL's continued collaboration with the Esports World Cup is an example of this vision becoming a reality, and it also represents Hero Esports' commitment to shaping and empowering esports globally."
