The 2026 HERO ESPORTS Asian Champions League (ACL) officially wrapped up on May 24. As Asia's first international multi-title esports tournament, the event featured three major titles—DOTA2, CS2, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB)—across two venues in Shanghai: Jixi Showground and Star Ring Center.

The tournament awarded three qualification slots for the 2026 Esports World Cup (EWC) to champions VG (DOTA2), LVG (CS2), and GZG (MLBB), who will represent their regions in July and August.

Strong Viewership and Engagement

The finals period spanned China's May Day holiday and two weekends, featuring eight offline competition days and 18 online broadcast days. Streamed across Bilibili, Douyin, Douyu, Huya, and Kuaishou, the tournament generated over 380 million total page views and nearly 23 million hours watched, underscoring growing demand for high-level multi-title esports in Asia.

DOTA2: VG's Lower Bracket Miracle

VG opened the ACL with a dramatic lower-bracket run, defeating TRE 3–1 in the Grand Finals on May 3 after losing the first map. The victory secured both the championship and China's direct EWC qualification slot, showcasing the resilience of Chinese DOTA2.

CS2: LVG Proves CNCS Strength

The CS2 playoffs featured 16 top Asian teams, including LVG, JJH, TYLOO, and FlyQuest. In the Grand Finals on May 17, LVG defeated JJH 3–1 after a tactical comeback, earning the EWC slot and highlighting the rise of Chinese Counter-Strike on the regional stage.

MLBB: Expanding Mobile Esports

From May 22–24, the ACL × MCT EA competition brought together six elite teams from China, Mongolia, Japan, and South Korea. GZG beat MGLZ 3–1 in the Grand Finals to claim the championship and an MSC at EWC 2026 slot, bridging PC and mobile esports audiences through fan activities such as in-game rewards, lucky draws, and meet-and-greets.

Beyond Competition: A Festival Experience

Supported by partners including EWC, Jin Jiang International Group, JD.com, AutoFull, ZOWIE, Xuperman (official apparel), and Red Bull Austria, the ACL offered hotel, travel, and cultural exchange activities. International players visited local stores and tried table tennis in Shanghai, gaining exposure to Chinese sports culture and Olympic values.

Looking ahead, ACL aims to expand its ecosystem with more game titles, teams, and partners, serving as a bridge connecting Asian esports to the global stage.