Asian esports event organiser VSPO has announced a new multi-title tournament named the Esports Asian Champions League (ACL).
VSPO has stated that it intends for the ACL to be a yearly tournament with a six-month-long season. According to a release, ACL aims to be the region’s ‘most diverse, and accessible esports event to date.’
The new esports league was announced by Dino Ying, Founder of VSPO, during an announcement ceremony at the INS Park in Shanghai, China. The ceremony was attended by various stakeholders from the esports industry including HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, Vice Chairman of the Savvy Games Group, who will also become the Honorary Chairman of the new league.
The ACL will be run by a newly founded body called the Asia Champions League Foundation, which will have its own management structure. VSPO’s Co-founders Jonny Wang and Xie Fan will become the Chief Executive and President of the ACL, respectively.
The league has also been announced as a partner of the Saudi-run Esports World Cup (EWC), with both parties currently discussing how the tournament can integrate into the Global EWC Qualifications for 2025.
The exact game titles that will feature in the ACL have yet to be announced, but the VSPO has stated that it intends to cover seven to ten titles at launch. In the trailer announcing the event, titles such as Street Fighter, League of Legends and PUBG.
According to the release the inaugural season will be held at XR-enabled gaming arenas spread across Asia.
Alongside its aspiration for esports in the region, VSPO has stated that the long-term vision for ACL is to have ‘its stages completely digitally constructed.’ The new league aims to become a benchmark for what ‘future cloud-based, virtual, immersive sporting tournaments should look like.’
VSPO Founder Dino Ying spoke on the new tournament: “ACL will elevate Asian esports to new heights. As esports becomes a widely recognized form of sports thanks to its 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 for esports, and ACL marks a commitment to that future.”
Founded in 2016, VSPO is a major player in the Asian esports market. The tournament organiser has worked with a variety of companies in the space, including a strategic partnership with China Media Group and the Esports World Cup Foundation.
