VSPN

A monumental announcement! Congratulations on this historic achievement as it showcases Saudi Arabia's vision and determination to establish the Kingdom as a leading global destination for sports and culture in the 21st century. Exciting times ahead!

Last week, ahead of the PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2024, Hero Esports co-founder and CEO Danny Tang joined CNBC’s flagship show Squawk Box in London to discuss how Hero Esports has been promoting esports worldwide and how Al is fueling esports growth today. Watch it here: https://lnkd.in/gYn-jerq #Esports #GoHero

Last week, I had the opportunity to revisit China after many years (my last visit was pre-COVID!). My journey began in Shanghai then to Beijing – taking the high-speed train was a highlight in itself! It was fast, punctual, and offered stunning views of the country. The trip was jam-packed with esports insights: - Attended Tencent Games workshops on the Chinese esports ecosystem and the impact of Honor of Kings, even having lunch with its creator! - Met with Daniel, the CEO of HERO GAMES, whose release Wukong was the surprise hit of 2025. - Finnished off with the KPL Finals – the undisputed king of mobile esports – and met with the Vice Mayor of Beijing. - Throughout the trip, I connected with many friends from Tencent, Hero Esports and the broader esports community. This incredible experience was shared with a delegation from the @Esports World Cup Foundation, Mike McCabe Faisal Bin Homran, Fabian Scheuermann, Thamer Alshuaibi, MBA, Jan Jahnke, Morten Holst, Foundations board member and the face of Saudi Games & Esports HRH Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, Savvy Games Group CEO Brian Ward and many more. China is the world's largest esports market and played a crucial role in the success of the Esports World Cup 2025. Here are my key takeaways: - Cultural Connections: Despite differences in language, culture, and cuisine, the passion for gaming and esports unites us all. - Fanatical Fandom: The esports fan culture in China surpasses even traditional sports. They were mobile-first and esports-first, with an atmosphere and level of fandom that's hard to grasp from a Western perspective. - Innovative Ecosystems: Honor of Kings, with its "homestead" system and clubs that operate hotels and restaurants, has successfully integrated esports into lifestyle and entertainment in a way that many western leagues aspire to. - The sheer scale of China and its esports scene is awe-inspiring. I'm thrilled we engaged with this market from the beginning and look forward to doubling down on our efforts for EWC 2025! Thanks for the invite Vincent WANG, FCCA, Mars, James Yang, Kat Gong and the hospitality Danny Tang and Dino Ying! #esports #china #gaming #mobilegaming #esportsbiz #honorofkings #ewc2025

I was delighted to join the 40,000-strong crowd at the impressive Beijing Workers’ Stadium yesterday to watch and celebrate the King Pro League Grand Finals 2024, alongside Savvy Games Group’s Vice Chairman Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, Hero Esports’ Executive Chairman Dino Ying, CEO Danny Tang, and the Esports World Cup Foundation's CEO Ralf Reichert. Co-hosted by Hero Esports and Tencent, this event was the culmination of the six week-long tournament with a total prize pool of $9.8 million. It was also announced, during the grand finals, that Honor of Kings will be a returning title in the 2025 Esports World Cup. Congratulations to Hero Esports for delivering such an outstanding esports experience for the community.

The King Pro League Grand Finals 2024, which is being co-hosted by Hero Esports and Tencent, the largest esports company in Asia, will culminate on Nov. 16 with prizes worth a total of $9.8 million awarded to the top 12 teams who advance through the rounds of the six week-long tournament. This is the inaugural event of the KPL Grand Finals, which replaces the Honor of Kings International Championship for Chinese Honor of Kings competitors and features the top teams from across China, the world’s biggest esports market. Events are being held at arenas in Chengdu, Hangzhou and Changsha, with the Grand Final event being held in Beijing.  The first-place team will receive the Holy Dragon Cup and approximately $3.1 million in prize money, followed by $1.4 million for second place, $1.1 million for third and $842,800 for fourth. By comparison, the winner of this year’s Masters golf tournament in the U.S. took home $3.6 million, while the men’s and women’s singles winners of the Wimbledon tennis tournament won £2.7 million ($3.5 million) each. The popularity of esports is growing rapidly around the world, encouraged by government support in a number of countries and new products and technology. The global esports market is projected to grow from $2.06 billion in 2024 to $9.29 billion by 2032, according to a report by PwC. The number of gamers globally is expected to increase from 3.3 billion in 2023 to 3.7 billion in 2026, according to gaming market research firm Newzoo. In China, the world’s largest esports game market, the audience is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.4% to 2028 while the country’s esports industry market size by revenue is projected to grow at a CAGR of 13.5%, according to Frost & Sullivan.   #kpl #kingproleague #kplfinal #kplfinal2024