New venue in sync with Shanghai's goal of becoming a global eSports hub

Credit: SHINE

Caption: Shanghai's eSports venue, the Shanghai KPL eSports Center, opens this week.

Shanghai KPL eSports Center, which opened this week, will host about 200 eSports matches per year, aligning with the city's desire to become a global eSports hotspot.

It will serve as a prominent eSports venue for the 2025 King Pro League, or KPL. The KPL is a league for the Honor of Kings mobile game, a Tencent-owned "national IP" with billions of players in China and around the world.

KPL attracts over 100 million viewers annually, making it one of the most popular eSports titles in the country.

Credit: Ti Gong

Caption: It will serve as a venue for the 2025 King Pro League in Shanghai.

The center, operated by Hero Esports, is located in Huangpu District and within the Shanghai World Expo Park.

The 5,500-square-meter venue, which includes a main arena and an experience hall, marks a significant milestone in Shanghai's efforts to establish itself as a worldwide eSports hub.

Its circular stage design, flanked by three overhead screens and dual-sided information displays, provides an immersive watching experience and allows fans to interact closely with players.

The KPL 2025 season began on Wednesday and will run through August 31. The center can host over 200 matches across 110 competition days, with an estimated 180,000 offline spectators. Tickets are available in three tiers: 88 yuan (US$12), 118 yuan, and 168 yuan, emphasizing its accessibility to a young, devoted fan base.

As eSports gains Olympic status and cultural momentum, Shanghai's latest arena will not only improve fan experiences but will also contribute to the city's vision for a tech-driven, youth-centric future.