SHANGHAI, Jan. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- VALORANT Champions Tour CN (VCT CN), the top VALORANT esports tournament in China, kicked off its new season in Shanghai on January 11th. The star-studded tournament is being hosted by TJ Sports and organized by Hero Esports, Asia's largest esports company.

A total of 12 teams will compete at the tournament held at VCT CN Arena at The Bund, Shanghai's iconic waterfront area and a renowned historical district. The three-week VCT CN Kickoff tournament, running from January 11th to January 25th, has already witnessed a remarkable turnout of impassioned fans during its opening weekend.

The VALORANT Champions Tour is where top 48 VALORANT esports teams from around the world compete for the coveted title of World Champion. VCT is divided into four regions of competition which include VCT CN, VCT EMEA, VCT Pacific and VCT Americas. The VCT CN Kickoff marks the beginning of the 2025 season for the VCT CN League.

Teams at the tournament will earn points to qualify for the upcoming VALORANT Masters Bangkok 2025 in February. The ultimate World Champion will be determined at Champions Paris in October, following a series of other VCT tournaments.

About Hero Esports

Founded in 2016, Hero Esports is the biggest esports company in Asia, producing more than 7,000 matches every year that captivate an online fan base of over 800 million. With a global presence encompassing 12 office locations and eight top-tier esports arenas, Hero Esports offers a comprehensive suite of esports services, including tournament organization, marketing solutions, community development, and more. As a private company, Hero Esports counts Savvy Games Group and Tencent, among others, as investors, with Kuaishou and Huya as strategic partners.

Headquartered in Shanghai and employing more than 1,100 employees, Hero Esports is a fully integrated operator of esports tournaments and creator of esports content with global reach. The company has helped produce many prestigious tournaments including the Olympic Esports Week, the Esports World Cup as well as the esports series featured at both the Jakarta Asian Games 2018 and the Hangzhou Asian Games 2023. Hero Esports also worked with the world's top-tier game publishers such as Tencent and Krafton in organizing popular esports leagues such as the Honor of Kings' KPL series and PUBG's PGC series, among many others. In 2024, Hero Esports launched Esports Asian Champions League (ACL), Asia's premier international, multi-title esports tournament. Hero Esports is a member of the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC).