Keyboard warriors take Shanghai by storm

Inaugural Asian Champions League boosts regional esports

Asian esports players and enthusiasts have enjoyed a thrilling and unforgettable May in Shanghai, where the Hero Esports Asian Champions League (ACL) brought together the region's esports community for the first time.

Ji Dongkai, a native Shanghai Counter-Strike 2 player better known as "Jee", could hardly hide his excitement and pride when his team, Tyloo, achieved a hard-fought victory in the grand finals on May 16. Marking a strong end to his ACL journey, Ji and his teammates obtained a ticket to represent China at this year's Esports World Cup.

Hosted by Asia's largest esports company Hero Esports, the ACL is the region's first international multititle esports tournament, gathering over 10,000 players and more than 1,200 teams from around the world. Its grand finals, held from May 16 to 18, drew an international audience of nearly 50,000 to Shanghai and garnered over 140 million views online, according to the organizer.