All you need to know about HERO ESPORTS Asian Championship League 2025 Valorant
- Tung "Ginn" Duong
- Apr 18
- 2 min read
Shanghai, China — April 18, 2025HERO ESPORTS has officially revealed the tournament structure for the upcoming Asian Championship League (ACL) VALORANT Stage, marking the first OFF//SEASON event of the 2025 competitive calendar. Scheduled to take place from May 14 to 18, the event will showcase top-tier competition from China and the Pacific region.
A Cross-Regional Clash in Shanghai
The tournament will be hosted across two iconic venues in Shanghai:
VCT CN Arena (for all matches excluding the Grand Final)
Jing’an Sports Center (Grand Final only)
With a $160,000 USD prize pool, the event promises not only high-stakes matches but also a refreshed competitive structure aimed at rewarding strategic play and underdog victories.
Tournament Format
The ACL VALORANT Stage will feature a single-elimination stepladder bracket, with 6 teams seeded into three groups based on their results from VCT Stage 1 2025.
Key highlights include:
Seeding Matches (May 14–15):
Group winners move directly to the Grand Final Seed Decider.
Second-place teams head to the Quarterfinal Seed Decider.
All matches will be best-of-three (Bo3).
Knockout Stage (May 14–18):
A stepladder format allows group performance to heavily influence each team's path.
Third-place group finishers will begin from Round 1.
The winner of the Grand Final Seed Decider earns a straight ticket to the Grand Final, while the loser will still have a second chance in the Semifinals.
Introducing "Bounty Clash"
In a unique twist, HERO ESPORTS introduces "Bounty Clash", a new system adding dynamic prize incentives:
Starting from Match 4, the winning team takes $20,000, and the losing team still earns $10,000.
Every match win comes with a $10,000 bonus.
If a lower-seeded team defeats a higher-seeded opponent, they receive an additional $10,000.
The event champion will be awarded $50,000, in addition to their total bounty earnings.
Teams and Broadcast
A total of 8 invited teams from the China and Pacific regions will participate, with final lineups to be announced soon. Fans can catch all updates and match coverage through HERO ESPORTS ACL’s official social media channels:
As anticipation builds, HERO ESPORTS’ ACL VALORANT Stage promises to deliver thrilling competition and new storylines to kick off the 2025 offseason with a bang.
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