The inaugural King Pro League Grand Finals 2024, the biggest esports event in China, drew more than 30,000 fans to a sold-out Beijing Workers’ Stadium on Nov 16. A delegation from Savvy Games and the Esports World Cup Foundation also joined the iconic event hosted by Chinese tech giant Tencent and the largest esports company in Asia, Hero Esports (formerly known as VSPO).

HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, Vice Chairman of Savvy Games Group (Savvy); Brian Ward, CEO of Savvy; and Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, attended the tournament where two top Chinese esports teams competed for the inaugural Holy Dragon Cup and a record prize pool.

A total of 70 million rmb ($9.8 million) was awarded to the top 12 teams who advanced through the rounds of the six-week-long tournament. The final showdown was between Chengdu All Gamers and Chongqing Wolves, where Chengdu All Gamers emerged victorious in a best-of-seven series and took home 22 million rmb ($3.1 million) in prize money.

King Pro League, the premier esports league for Tencent’s hit game Honor of Kings, is the biggest esports league in Asia. Honor of Kings is the world’s most popular mobile game with more than 100 million daily players. Hero Esports has been the organizer of KPL tournaments since the league was first launched in 2016.

This year marks the inaugural 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, one of the biggest esports markets in the world with the most players. Events were held at arenas in Chengdu, Hangzhou and Changsha, with the Grand Finals event being held in Beijing.

The popularity of esports is growing rapidly around the world, encouraged by government support in a number of countries and new products and technology. According to a Frost & Sullivan Report, the market size of the esports gaming industry has experienced a significant increase at a CAGR of 15.2% from US$29.8 billion in 2017 to US$52.6 billion in 2021, and is expected to increase further at a CAGR of 12.1% from US$57.9 billion in 2022 to US$102.4 billion in 2027.

The report also shows that the number of gamers globally has experienced a significant increase at a CAGR of 7.1% from 2.3 billion in 2017 to 3.1 billion in 2021, and is expected to further increase at a CAGR of 5.5% from 3.3 billion in 2022 to 4.3 billion in 2027.

Danny Tang, CEO and Co-Founder of Hero Esports, commented: “Hero Esports is proud to have been a part of the first King Pro League Grand Finals, which is an example of the high calibre esports tournaments that fans and players everywhere deserve. The strong enthusiasm we’ve seen for this event in its first year is a testament to the significant growth of interest in this sport and the support of our high-profile sponsors. The atmosphere in the arena was electric and we congratulate the Chengdu All Gamers in winning the inaugural Holy Dragon Cup.”

Hero Esports, formerly known as VSPO, is a leading player in the global esports industry, collaborating with major game developers and global brands and organizing tournaments for players and fans across the world. It is the biggest esports tournament operator in Asia, having hosted 86 tournaments in the region in 2023, of which 62 were in China, compared with a total of 77 tournaments in 2020, of which three were overseas. The company recently announced the Esports Asian Champions League (ACL), Asia’s new premier international esports tournament featuring multiple titles.

Sponsors of the King Pro League Grand Finals 2024 include Meituan, Snapdragon and SAIC Volkswagen and iQOO.

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Supporting safer gambling in Malta is the focus of a new partnership between EveryMatrix, BetBlocker and the Responsible Gaming Foundation. The collaboration will see BetBlocker expand its services to include a Maltese version of its award-winning blocking software.

This project is launched as part of European Safer Gambling Week 2024 to provide both an additional tool to support Maltese players looking to manage their access to gambling and to raise the profile of the free, anonymous to use, service BetBlocker provides within one of the key international hubs for the igaming industry.

Duncan Garvie, Founder and Trustee for BetBlocker, said: “One of the biggest challenges for BetBlocker is ensuring that a technologically complex app is as simple as possible for users to set-up. Currently, BetBlocker can take a user from download to blocked in under 2 minutes.

But that is only the case where the user finds the set-up instructions easy to engage with.

“Where a user is able to access BetBlocker in the language that they are most confident in, the chances of them converting to an active block is far higher.

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“We hope that in the future, the MGA will advance their player protection standards with the inclusion of requirement for licensees to signpost blocking software to ensure players are aware of this option.”

Jake Cachia, Head of Compliance, EveryMatrix, added: “We’re delighted to be able to support BetBlocker and the RGF with this important initiative in Malta, particularly in time for Safer Gambling Week.

“EveryMatrix is proud of its commitment to safer gambling and player protection while producing market leading gaming solutions, and partnerships such as underlining how crucial it is to keep making a difference.”

Kevin O’Neill, General Manager for the Responsible Gaming Foundation, shared these thoughts on the project: “The Responsible Gaming Foundation is proud to collaborate with BetBlocker and Everymatrix on this initiative, furthering our mission to support safer gambling practices in Malta.

Translating BetBlocker into Maltese is a significant step towards accessibility and inclusivity, ensuring that players can effectively manage their gambling habits in their native language.

This project demonstrates the power of partnerships in enhancing player protection and underscores the importance of providing players with tools that promote responsible decision-making. As we launch this initiative during European Safer Gambling Week 2024, we remain committed to contributing to an environment where innovative solutions, such as BetBlocker, can meaningfully impact safeguarding our community.”