The second edition of the Counter-Strike tournament will bring eight of the world's top teams to AsiaWorld-Expo from Nov. 11 to 15.
BLAST Premier Rivals Hong Kong, the city's largest esports event, officially launched on Oct. 8, with its second edition set to take place at AsiaWorld-Expo from Nov. 11 to 15. Eight of the world's top Counter-Strike teams will compete for a total prize pool of US$1 million.
According to the organizer, tickets for the inaugural event in 2025 sold out, making it the largest esports tournament ever held in HK. It also became the first esports event in the city to receive the government's "M" Mark recognition.
An independent report compiled by The Education University of Hong Kong estimated that the tournament generated an economic impact of more than HK$600 million. It recorded 36 million hours of global watch time, 262 million livestream views and a peak audience of 2.1 million.
Over the three days of live competition last year, the event attracted more than 30,000 esports fans from 58 countries and regions. The grand final was held before a sold-out crowd of 12,000 spectators. More than 50% of ticket holders came from outside HK and stayed for an average of five additional nights, generating more than 22,000 hotel room nights for the city's hospitality sector.
The playoffs for this year's tournament will take place at AsiaWorld-Expo over the final three days, from Nov. 13 to 15, with six of the eight teams competing for the championship title.
The event will continue the community ticketing initiative and student team-shadowing programme introduced in its inaugural edition. It will also continue to employ more than 100 local behind-the-scenes and production staff.
The "M" Mark is awarded by the Major Sports Events Committee to events considered capable of significantly enhancing HK's international image. Committee chairman Wilfred Ng said last year's tournament demonstrated exceptional competitive standards and world-class event organization.
He said he looked forward to welcoming the world's top teams back to HK and further enhancing the city's image as an international sports hub.
Related News:
Comment