VALORANT Champions CN Qualifier, the first domestic VALORANT eSports event, opened on Monday in Shanghai, the city with a blueprint to become a global hub of eSports.

VALORANT, a popular 5 vs 5 First-person Shooter (FPS) PC game, is developed by Riot Games, developer of popular titles like the League of Legends (LoL).

The game will be operated by Tencent on the Chinese mainland and will officially debut domestically on July 12. The Chinese multinational technology and entertainment conglomerate plans to invest 1 billion yuan (US$138 million) over three years to boost a "VALORANT gaming culture and ecosystem," Tencent said recently in Shanghai.

Totally 12 professional clubs are attending the VALORANT eSports event, also known as Champions CQ, between Monday and July 16 in Shanghai. The top three ranking clubs, representing China, will attend a global VALORANT championship event in August in Los Angeles.

The latter part of Champions CQ will be held at the 1862 Fashion Art Center in Lujiazui of the Pudong New Area, with open ticketing. Fans can watch the matches onsite with tickets.

Shanghai's eSports sector income hit 28.9 billion yuan in 2022, with the city boasting the most eSports clubs and professionals in the country, industry regulators said.

The city is making efforts to become a global eSports hub by developing game industries, building gaming venues, holding more eSports events and cultivating more professional players.