BEIJING, Nov. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The King Pro League (KPL) Grand Finals 2025, which concluded on November 8, set a new Guinness World Record with 62,196 attendees. Tickets for the event sold out in just 15 seconds and 12 seconds in two rounds of sales — demonstrating the surging global interest in China’s competitive gaming scene.
This achievement reflects the increasing sophistication of China’s esports ecosystem. Once a niche interest, esports has become a powerful driver of urban consumption and youth culture.
These trends were the focus of a recent high-level industry forum. On October 17, the 2025 Esports Innovation and Communication Seminar, held under the auspices of the China Media Group (CMG) National Institute for Esports Development and hosted by CCTV Animation Group Co., Ltd., took place in Mudanjiang.
Su Zhili, Head of Esports for Riot Games China, has publicly noted that Chinese esports leads other regions by three to five years in audience engagement and commercial development. Using the Worlds 2025 in Chengdu as an example, he pointed to innovations in event presentation, staging, and music integration that help bring esports and traditional sports closer together, attracting younger viewers.
Advances in technology are also improving the esports experience. This year’s launch of the Harmony version of Honor of Kings supports 120 FPS high refresh rates and cross-platform matchmaking — ending eight years of platform separation and enhancing both player participation and ecosystem cohesion.
Huang Cheng, Head of the King Pro League (KPL), said, “Content innovation and technology investments have helped us grow user participation and strengthen our market presence.” In May, Honor of Kings remained the world’s highest-grossing mobile game.
International participants at the seminar praised China’s ability to deliver large-scale esports events. German esports commentator Danny Engels, who attended the KPL Grand Finals 2025, noted, “The production quality was world-class, with distinctive stage design and professional execution at every level.”
At the same time, Chinese esports organizations are sharing their operational expertise abroad. Nikhil, CEO of PRX, mentioned that esports growth in Southeast Asia faces hurdles such as language diversity and internet infrastructure. Chinese companies’ experience in multilingual support and server optimization has played a key role in supporting the expansion of Valorant in the region.
Esports has become more than a competition — it is a platform for showcasing China’s modern identity and industry vision.
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SOURCE CCTV Animation Group
