Hero Esports Announces Grand Venues for Asian Champions League Finals in Shanghai
- Sagar Mankar
- 10 hours ago
- 2 min read
The HERO ESPORTS Asian Champions League (ACL) has revealed the locations for its 2025 Grand Finals, set to take place May 16-18 in Shanghai.
This major esports tournament will transform three of Shanghai's iconic venues into competitive arenas for nine different video game competitions.
The event is expected to draw more than 80,000 in-person spectators across the three venues, while millions more will watch online through platforms like Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok.
Teams will compete for a share of the impressive $2 million prize pool, with some winners earning direct qualification to the Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia later in 2025.
According to the announcement, the tournament will spread across three major Shanghai locations:
The SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center will host tournaments for Counter-Strike 2, Honor of Kings, and the League of Legends Legend Cup.
The Jing'an Sports Center will transform into the "Tactical Esports Arena" featuring Valorant Champions Tour and CrossFire competitions.
The National Exhibition and Convention Center will become the "Global Gaming Festival Hub" with tournaments for DOTA2, Street Fighter 6, Teamfight Tactics, and Delta Force.
One of the event's highlights includes the Chinese debut of DreamHack, described as "the world's largest gaming festival." This partnership will combine competitive gaming with music performances and interactive experiences for attendees.
"Shanghai's selection as our host city reflects its unmatched esports infrastructure and passionate community," said ACL CEO Jonny Wang. He explained that combining elite competition with DreamHack's festival atmosphere creates "a new blueprint for global esports events."
Danny Tang, Co-Founder and CEO of Hero Esports, called the ACL the company's "most ambitious project to date," noting that it connects Asian gaming talent with global opportunities.