The 2024 King Pro League (KPL) Grand Finals, China's premier Honor of Kings tournament, wrapped up in Beijing on Saturday, captivating over 3,000 passionate fans on site and millions of viewers online.
Esports enthusiasts from across China gathered in Beijing for the finals, where their favorite teams battled for ultimate glory. Chengdu AG Super Play claimed the championship after bouncing back from an early loss to Beijing WB in the qualifiers.
Meanwhile, Chongqing Wolves pulled off thrilling comebacks, including a "one versus two" victory against Jinan RW Xia and Wuhan eStarPro.
"I'm a fan of Chongqing Wolves. I've watched the Wolves' games in Chongqing and Shanghai. This is my first finals," said a esports fan.
Major tournaments like the KPL are not just a spectacle for fans. They're also a driving force behind the surging revenue in esports streaming and ticket sales.
"Our viewership scale this year has grown by more than 20 percent compared to 2023. Ticket sales have also seen an explosive growth. Overall, our views are now comparable to those of many traditional sports," said Huang Cheng, head of the King of Glory Professional League.
Esports has continued its rapid expansion in China. A recent report estimates the sector is expected to grow into an industry of about 30 billion U.S.dollars by the end of this year.
It is also becoming a viable career path for young people in China.
"The booming esports industry has created more job opportunities for young people. It has now become a newly-emerged industry in the sports field,” said Li Daheng, a member of the Chongqing Wolves Esports team.
Xu Bicheng (Yinuo), a member of Chengdu AG, made headlines representing Team China during the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, where Honor of Kings debuted as an official sport.
Esports tournament finals in China attract millions of online viewers
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have reaffirmed that they will not seek normalization of ties with Israel, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump's call for the two countries to join the Abraham Accords.
Saudi Arabia's position on the Palestinian issue remains unchanged, a Saudi source told Al Arabiya TV on Monday.
The source affirmed the need for "an irreversible pathway to a Palestinian state".
The remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump urged Muslim-majority and regional countries to normalize relations with Israel and join the Abraham Accords before the U.S. reaches a peace agreement with Iran.
Saudi Arabia has repeatedly said it would not normalize relations with Israel without the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Tuesday that Pakistan will not join any agreement to normalize ties with Israel, adding that the country will not accept any deal that "conflicts with its fundamental ideologies".
Trump on Monday urged Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey and Pakistan -- countries involved in mediating U.S.-Iran talks -- to immediately join the Abraham Accords, warning that otherwise they should not participate in the mediation.
He added that if a U.S.-Iran deal is reached, Iran should also join the agreement.
The Abraham Accords, brokered by the United States in 2020 during Trump's first term, were established between the Israeli government and Arab countries including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, aimed at rapidly advancing the normalization of relations between Israel and Arab countries.
Before the outbreak of the latest round of Israeli-Palestinian conflict in October 2023, the United States had been pushing for normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
After the conflict erupted, Saudi Arabia suspended normalization talks with Israel.
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan reject Trump's Abraham Accords demand
