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Street Fighter 6 Tournament Announced for the Hero Esports’ Asian Champions League
Hero Esports has officially confirmed that Street Fighter 6 will be a featured title at the upcoming Asian Champions League (ACL), scheduled for May 17–18, 2025, in Shanghai.
- Hero Esports will host a Street Fighter 6 tournament as part of the Asian Champions League (ACL) in Shanghai from May 17–18, 2025.
- The ACL Street Fighter 6 tournament features a $30,000 USD total prize pool and is open to all competitors with no entry requirements.
- The champion and runner-up of the ACL Street Fighter 6 event will secure direct qualification slots for the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Teamfight Tactics Comes to Hero Esports’ Asian Champions League
Hero Esports has officially integrated Teamfight Tactics into its Asian Champions League (ACL), a multi-title tournament series designed to serve as a regional pipeline for the Esports World Cup.
- The top six teams from the Teamfight Tactics competition at the Hero Esports Asian Champions League (ACL) will earn qualification spots for the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- The ACL is a multi-title tournament hosted by Hero Esports featuring eight games, including Teamfight Tactics, Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2, and Valorant, running from May 6 to May 18, 2025.
- Registration for the Teamfight Tactics tournament opens on March 23, 2025, and closes on March 31, 2025.
Esports World Cup Foundation Announces Organizations Selected for Club Partner Program
The Esports World Cup Foundation has unveiled the 40 professional organizations selected for its 2025 Club Partner Program.
- The Esports World Cup Foundation has selected 40 professional esports organizations for its 2025 Club Partner Program.
- The program is funded by the Saudi Arabian government’s Public Investment Fund and managed by the ESL FACEIT Group, a subsidiary of the state-owned Savvy Games Group.
- Selected organizations include major industry players such as Team Liquid, T1, G2 Esports, Cloud9, FaZe Clan, Natus Vincere, and Gen.G Esports.
Capcom Signs Street Fighter-Focused, Multi-Year Partnership With The Esports World Cup Foundation
Capcom has entered into a three-year partnership with the Esports World Cup Foundation to integrate Street Fighter 6 into the annual Esports World Cup held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- Capcom has signed a three-year partnership with the Esports World Cup (EWC) Foundation to integrate Street Fighter 6 into the EWC competition held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- The agreement formally integrates the EWC into the existing Capcom Pro Tour and Street Fighter League ecosystems, including the addition of EWC activations within the Street Fighter 6 in-game interface.
- A total of 48 players will compete in the Street Fighter 6 Finals at the EWC, with qualification spots awarded to top performers from the CAPCOM CUP, Street Fighter League, and various global Capcom Pro Tour events.
OG Esports Joins Honor of Kings Esports Ecosystem as Western Europe Partner Team
OG Esports has officially entered the mobile esports sector by joining the Honor of Kings ecosystem as a partner team for the Western Europe region in 2025.
- OG Esports has established its first mobile esports division by joining the Honor of Kings ecosystem as a partner team for the Western Europe region in 2025.
- The move aligns with OG Esports' strategic plan to expand into emerging titles and the Chinese market, further strengthening the organization's relationship with publisher Tencent.
- OG Esports CEO Daniel Sanders, who previously held leadership roles at Tencent Games and Red Bull, is spearheading this expansion strategy.
Level Infinite Details Honor of Kings Esports Plans for 2025
Level Infinite, a division of Tencent, has announced a $15 million investment to expand the global Honor of Kings esports ecosystem throughout 2025.
- Level Infinite, a division of Tencent, is investing $15 million in 2025 to expand the global Honor of Kings esports ecosystem.
- The company is launching six new regional leagues: Philippines Kings League, Malaysia Kings League, Indonesia Kings Laga, Wildcard Kings League, Major East League, and Major West League.
- The 2025 global tournament schedule features the Honor of Kings World Cup in July, hosted at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, and the Honor of Kings International Championship in November.
International Olympic Committee Announces First Esports Olympic Games in 2027
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has officially confirmed that the inaugural Olympic Esports Games will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2027.
- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will host the inaugural Olympic Esports Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2027.
- The event is the result of a 12-year partnership agreement signed in 2024 between the IOC and the Saudi Arabian government.
- The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has been named a founding partner for the games, with the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC) facilitating the event.
Riot Games Signs Three-Year Deal with the Esports World Cup Foundation
Riot Games has entered into a three-year partnership with the Esports World Cup Foundation to integrate three of its flagship titles—League of Legends, Valorant, and Teamfight Tactics—into the annual Esports World Cup held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- Riot Games has signed a three-year partnership with the Esports World Cup Foundation to feature League of Legends, Valorant, and Teamfight Tactics in the annual summer competition held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- The agreement includes a global commercial partnership between the Esports World Cup Foundation and Riot’s competitive circuits, encompassing in-broadcast activations across LoL Esports, the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT), and the TFT 2025 circuit.
- Financial terms of the three-year deal were not disclosed by either party.
FATAL FURY Joins the 2025 Esports World Cup Line-Up
The Esports World Cup Foundation has entered into a three-year partnership with SNK Corporation to integrate the Fatal Fury fighting game franchise into its annual multi-week tournament series.
- The Esports World Cup Foundation has signed a three-year partnership with SNK to feature the Fatal Fury franchise in its annual multi-week summer competition.
- The upcoming title, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, will be included in the 2025 Esports World Cup lineup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is scheduled for a multi-platform release in April 2025 and marks the first entry in the fighting game series in 26 years.
MOONTON Launches Mobile Legends: Bang Bang in China
MOONTON, a subsidiary of ByteDance, has officially launched its flagship title, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), in the Chinese market.
- MOONTON, a subsidiary of ByteDance, has officially launched its flagship title Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) in the Chinese market, integrating the region into its global esports ecosystem.
- The Chinese MLBB esports ecosystem will feature a franchise-based model, incorporating slot fees and revenue-sharing opportunities for participating organizations.
- Smartphone manufacturer Realme has signed a strategic partnership to serve as the official equipment provider for MLBB tournaments in China.
Esports World Cup Foundation Seeks Merchandising Licensees
The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has initiated a global search for commercial partners to join its newly launched Global Licensing Program.
- The Esports World Cup Foundation has launched a "Global Licensing Program" to recruit partners for the production and sale of official merchandise.
- Eligible product categories for prospective licensees include gaming accessories, apparel, bags, home decor, travel accessories, sporting goods, toys, and games.
- The program is open to international companies, with no specific regional restrictions on where licensed products can be manufactured or sold.
Everything Sports on Live Streaming in 2024
Traditional sports and live streaming are increasingly converging, challenging the historical perception that these entertainment sectors are mutually exclusive.
- The Kings World Cup Nations achieved a peak viewership of 3.4 million in early 2025, building on the success of the Kings League which accounted for 6 of the top 10 most-watched sports events in 2024.
- Creator-led sports events are driving massive engagement, led by WestCOL’s 'Stream Fighters 3' with 1.4 million peak viewers and rebeudeter’s 'DTR Fight' with 1.2 million peak viewers.
- Streamer DjMaRiiO led sports-focused content in 2024 with 14.1 million hours watched, followed by journalist Gerard Romero with 10.3 million hours.