PGL and Perfect World sign strategic esports partnership for 2024-2026 seasons

PGL, an organizer of esports tournaments, and Perfect World, a Chinese game publisher and tournament operator, have formed a strategic partnership for the upcoming esports seasons from 2024 to 2026.

Under this collaboration, the two companies will work together on organizing events for popular esports games like Dota 2 and Counter-Strike 2 (CS2). They will also explore various co-branding opportunities. Perfect World is the distributor of Valve's esports titles, Counter-Strike and Dota 2, in China. It has previously collaborated with Valve on launching the Steam storefront in China and hosts CS2 and Dota 2 competitions in the country, such as the Dota 2 Asia Championships and the CS2 Major in Shanghai.

PGL, based in Romania, has a track record of organizing major CS2 and Dota 2 tournaments and is scheduled to host the upcoming PGL Major Copenhagen later this month. The partnership between PGL and Perfect World has been ongoing since 2017, and they are now entering a new phase of their relationship, according to PGL CEO Silviu Stroie.

The new agreement between PGL and Perfect World primarily focuses on collaboration in terms of tournament publicity, promotion, production, and technical support. PGL, leveraging its global reach and expertise in esports content, will produce all Perfect World events in English with global rights, excluding China. On the other hand, Perfect World will produce all PGL events in China and hold the rights for the Chinese market. This arrangement is expected to increase the visibility and impact of PGL events in the region.

Furthermore, the companies have expressed their intention to explore co-branded collaborations that resonate with the gaming community. However, no specific details have been provided regarding the nature of these co-branding opportunities.

PGL, which has been active since 2002, recently announced that the PGL Major would be streamed on Kick, and they have secured sponsors such as 1xBet and Zowie for the event. Additionally, PGL unveiled an ambitious strategy for Dota 2, planning to invest in the game's competitive scene by organizing at least eight large-scale tournaments between 2024 and 2026, each with a prize pool of $1 million.