Let me start this piece by saying personally I am a BIG Fan of what the guys at Hero Esports are doing in Global Esports but this article is inspired by the ingenuity of creating a pathway for Asian teams to qualify for different titles at the Esports World Cup . To top this up is the glam of the plan to fly them to Riyadh in a branded aircraft… That’s some steeze!!!
Now to my thoughts…
In recent years, Asia has set the pace in the global esports movement, not just with individual talent but through institutional coordination and continental ambition.
At the forefront of that charge is Hero Esports, the engine behind the game-changing Asian Esports Champions League (ACL), which unites professional Esports teams across Asia in a world-class, structured competition.
So the question is: Why can’t Africa do the same?
What Did Hero Esports Do Right?
Hero Esports offers more than tournaments — they offer a vision and a framework. Their impact is anchored on:
- Regional Integration.
- Competitive Structure.
- Strong Brand & IP.
- Institutional + Government Partnerships
The ACL is more than a league — it’s a continental movement. And that’s what we need here.
Why Africa Is Ripe for Esports Growth
Africa has:
- The youngest population globally
- Rapid mobile gaming penetration
- Untapped creative and competitive energy
- Early interest from global publishers and sponsors
We have the raw ingredients — but we need the infrastructure and unity to bring it all together.
What We Can Do — The African Esports Blueprint
Inspired by Hero Esports, here’s a roadmap for African stakeholders:
- Build a Pan-African Esports Champions League Tournament Organizers should work together to host a unified, annual competition — with qualifiers in each region.
- Develop Local-to-Global Talent Pipelines From grassroots tournaments to national camps and academies, our focus must be on structured progression.
- Attract Strategic Public-Private Partners Like in Asia, telcos, ministries, tech companies, and even regular sports clubs must see Esports as a vehicle for youth engagement and innovation.
- Invest in Storytelling & Media Visibility Leagues thrive when players are heroes. Let’s showcase our gamers, creators, rivalries, and wins across African platforms.
- Prioritize Pan-African Identity Before Global Reach Let’s make Africa our first audience and champion, before trying to break into global circuits.
We Can Be Heroes Too
An Africa entity doesn’t need to just emulate Hero Esports. It needs to localize and lead to create the desired platform to breed the next generation of Stars… Esports Stars across different titles with global appeal.
Let’s build our ACL. Let’s write our Esports story. Let’s show the world that we too, can be HEROES.
