Competitive entertainment company BLAST has announced its debut arena event in mainland China with the BLAST Dota Slam Chengdu, set to take place 5–7 December 2025 at the Wuliangye Chengdu Performing Arts Centre, in collaboration with the Chengdu Television and Media Company.

The world’s best Dota 2 teams will battle it out for glory and a $1,000,000 prize pool, in front of thousands of fans inside the arena and millions more watching across the globe. The event will be broadcast live in more than 50+ territories and 30+ languages, further showcasing Chengdu on the global esports stage.

The event will be delivered as part of a close partnership and multi-year agreement with Chengdu Television and Media Company, with follow-up tournaments to be confirmed for in the future.

The Wuliangye Chengdu Performing Arts Centre is a state-of-the-art, 12,000-seat venue designed to host world-class concerts, live performances and major entertainment events.. As one of Chengdu’s landmark cultural venues, the Centre features cutting-edge facilities and versatile design, reinforcing the city’s reputation as a global destination for entertainment and live experiences.

The partnership with Chengdu Television and Media Company will ensure the event combines BLAST’s world-class production with strong local storytelling and cultural integration. This collaboration marks a significant moment in the development of esports in Chengdu, supporting the city’s ambitions to position itself as a hub for live entertainment and competitive gaming in Asia. The city is also set to host the 2025 League Of Legends World Championship Final in Chengdu in November 2025, and has a long history of hosting esports events right back to 2009.

James Woollard, Director of Market Development at BLAST, said: “We are incredibly proud to bring BLAST’s first ever event in mainland China to Chengdu; a city with rich culture, cutting-edge infrastructure, a history of live entertainment and a growing reputation for gaming and esports. Entering the buoyant and growing Chinese esports and gaming space – one of our fastest growing viewership markets – is hugely important, and partnering with Chengdu Television and Media Company allows us to combine our global competitive entertainment pedigree with trusted local expertise to deliver something truly special. The Phoenix Mountain Sports Park Arena is a phenomenal venue, and we can’t wait to create landmark esports moments there this December as part of a multi-year partnership.”

Zhou Wenwen, General Manager of Chengdu Broadcasting Film and Television Group, said, “We are very glad to cooperate with BLAST and bring a world-class esports experience to Chengdu. The BLAST Slam is not only a competitive feast for fans all over the world, but also an important opportunity to showcase Chengdu as an international cultural, sports and entertainment destination. We believe that the cooperation between the two sides in the next three years will surely inject strong fuel into the development of the esports industry in Chengdu and make significant contributions. “

BLAST Dota Slam Chengdu is expected to deliver significant economic and cultural impact for Chengdu. Esports has become a powerful platform for cities worldwide, attracting young and engaged visitors, driving tourism and investment and reinforcing international visibility.

With major BLAST events in 2025 already staged in Rio, London, Lisbon, Austin, Boston, Singapore and Hong Kong, Chengdu now joins the global circuit of landmark esports destinations.

The first direct invites for the event have been announced with Tundra, Heroic, Team Spirit, Team Falcons, Parivision and Team Liquid all set to compete for a spot in the BLAST Slam Chengdu in December.

Fans can sign up at BLAST.tv to be the first to receive ticketing updates, exclusive news and pre-sale access for BLAST Dota Slam Chengdu.

Red Rake Gaming launches its latest title, Azteca Gold Collect, a vibrant and thrilling video slot that transports players to the heart of the ancient Aztec civilization. With colorful visuals and action-packed gameplay, this 5×3, 25-payline slot is designed to deliver a gaming experience full of surprises, accumulating wins, and innovative features.

At the core of the game are the Azteca Gold symbols, appearing on reels 1 to 4 and each containing individual win values. When an Azteca Collect symbol lands on reel 5, it instantly gathers all visible Azteca Gold values, awarding the total as an immediate win to the player. But that’s only the beginning.

During the base game, several Collect-type modifiers can be triggered, significantly boosting win potential:

• Azteca Plus adds an extra amount to each Azteca Gold symbol before collection.
• Azteca Multiplier applies a multiplier to all Azteca Gold symbols on the screen.
• Azteca Expand transforms any reel containing Azteca Gold into a full reel of Azteca Gold symbols, each with a random value.
• Azteca Respin locks all Azteca Gold symbols in place and awards a respin, increasing the potential win.

The Free Spins feature is activated by landing three BONUS symbols on reels 1, 3, and 5, awarding 16 free spins. During this feature, Azteca Gold and Collect symbols remain active, but with an exciting twist: all wins from Azteca Gold symbols are added to a special pot, even if no Collect symbol lands on that spin. At the end of the feature, the accumulated pot is transformed into a giant Azteca Gold symbol, which is placed back on the reels for one final respin. If a Collect symbol appears on that spin, the player wins the entire accumulated amount!

Additionally, landing three BONUS symbols during the free spins awards 8 extra spins, extending the excitement and winning opportunities.

With its powerful mix of instant wins, special features, and a free spins feature with an accumulating pot, Azteca Gold Collect is the perfect addition for operators seeking visually stunning, entertaining slots packed with high-performing mechanics.

With this new release, Red Rake Gaming continues to expand its portfolio with dynamic and innovative slots designed for all markets. As with the rest of the company’s games, this slot is fully integrated into Red Rake Gaming’s renowned tournament tool, further enhancing player engagement and entertainment.

Think you can handle the heat? Then take the reign of fire in Royal Blaze, the latest classic slot release from in-demand iGaming content provider, ICONIC21.

This is a game of thrones where players do battle across a 3×5 reel kingdom and where five paylines remain active at all times.

Royal Blaze really does burn with fire and intensity – every spin feels alive, driven by the game’s bold design and a rhythm that builds and builds, and never slows down.

But there are some important symbols to collect along the way.

The Crown Wild expands filling the reel and lifting the action and big win potential higher and higher.

Then there are Scattered Diamonds in classic blue and yellow, and they pay wherever they land.

Royal Blaze is sleek, radiant and made for discerning players who want their gameplay to be sharp, confident and with plenty of heat.

As with all the provider’s slots, Royal Blaze is offered in real-money and social/sweepstakes formats to meet the demand it’s already experiencing from both types of operators for its existing suite of games.

Edvardas Sadovskis, CPO at ICONIC21, said: “Royal Blaze is a slot that rolls out the red carpet and turns up the heat for players looking to take the big win crown.

“This is a classic slot that’s all about Wilds and Scatters, both of which amp up the action and put players on the edge of their thrones.

“This is a great addition to our growing portfolio of classic slots, which has been curated to not only meet but exceed player and operator expectations.

“We look forward to seeing if players can indeed handle the heat and claim the great riches that come with being able to do so.”