Hero Esports Launches Asian Champions League with Nine Game Titles and World Cup Qualifying Spots

The HERO ESPORTS Asian Champions League (ACL), a major multi-title esports tournament, officially launched in Shanghai with nine game titles for its first edition.

The event will serve as a qualifier for the upcoming Esports World Cup (EWC) in Riyadh, with winners earning direct entry to this prestigious global competition.

The tournament lineup includes Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Honor of Kings, Street Fighter 6, League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, VALORANT, Delta Force, and Crossfire.

According to the announcement, the ACL Grand Finals will take place from May 16 to May 18 across multiple venues in Shanghai. The event will collaborate with the globally recognized gaming festival DreamHack.

The tournament boasted a relatively modest prize pool of $2 million spread across 9 titles.

The Counter-Strike 2 tournament has already begun across 32 Asian cities, with more than 1,000 teams participating, making it one of the largest CS2 tournaments worldwide.

"With these nine game titles, we are confident that we'll create a comprehensive esports event that satisfies the vast majority of esports fans," said Jonny Wang, CEO of the Asian Champions League. "It is our aspiration that the ACL will set a new standard for excellence in Asian esports."

The Street Fighter 6 competition, scheduled for May 17-18, offers a $30,000 prize pool and is open to all participants without entry requirements. Both the champion and runner-up will secure direct entry to the Esports World Cup.

The Teamfight Tactics tournament features a unique 4v4 team battle format and will run from April 15 to May 18 with a $150,000 prize pool. Six teams from this competition will earn spots at the Esports World Cup. The tournament includes three stages: Regional Qualifiers, Asian Challenge, and ACL Grand Finals.