China has become a global powerhouse in esports, setting international standards with its elite players and expanding influence, said Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, president of the International Esports Federation (IESF), during a record-breaking tournament in Beijing. Earlier this month in Beijing, the Honor of Kings King Pro League (KPL) Grand Final took place at the National Stadium, better known as the Bird's Nest, drawing a crowd of over 62,000 fans to break the record for a single esports event. In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Al Saud praised China's growing influence in global esports and the dominance of its top-tier players. "It's a major player in the global ecosystem. It would be hard to find any tournament where you don't have either a Chinese player or a Korean player. And you are setting the global standard. Across the board, there was, I think, if memory serves me correctly, at the EWC we had 25 games. Five of the games had Chinese participants that qualified, and we had more Chinese participants than any participants from any other country. I mean, it is a powerhouse now, it is growing. It is a powerhouse in development. It is a powerhouse in production. The talent here is undeniable," he said Al Saud believes the global esports fan base is set to grow even further, driven by the power of compelling storytelling and the rising influence of major leagues like the KPL. "It's because of the story they've been able to tell, that they've been able to bring so many people into this, and that growth is only going to keep going because in esports there is such a great story to tell. But how can we take that storytelling capability and bring that to other esports to bring it up to the level that the KPL is on right now on a global scale. Because this is such a major event. This is massive. But that's known with the knowledge that there is so much more room to grow, which is a scary and exciting thing," he said. SHOTLIST: Beijing, China - Nov 8, 2025 1. Various of 2025 King Pro League (KPL) Grand Finals in progress, spectators; Beijing, China - Recent 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, chairman, Saudi Esports Federation; president, International Esports Federation (IESF) (partially overlaid with shots 3-4): "It's a major player in the global ecosystem. It would be hard to find any tournament where you don't have either a Chinese player or a Korean player. And you are setting the global standard. Across the board, there was, I think, if memory serves me correctly, at the EWC we had 25 games. Five of the games had Chinese participants that qualified, and we had more Chinese participants than any participants from any other country. I mean, it is a powerhouse now, it is growing. It is a powerhouse in development. It is a powerhouse in production. The talent here is undeniable."; [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - July 26, 2025 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland) 3. Members of champion team, Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud posing for photos; 4. Winning team shaking hands, hugging with opponents; [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, southwest China - April 2024 5. Various of students in esports game training; Beijing, China - Recent 6. SOUNDBITE (English) Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, chairman, Saudi Esports Federation; president, IESF (partially overlaid with shot 7): "It's because of the story they've been able to tell, that they've been able to bring so many people into this, and that growth is only going to keep going because in esports there is such a great story to tell. But how can we take that storytelling capability and bring that to other esports to bring it up to the level that the KPL is on right now on a global scale. Because this is such a major event. This is massive. But that's known with the knowledge that there is so much more room to grow, which is a scary and exciting thing."; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] Beijing, China - Nov 8, 2025 7. Various of 2025 KPL Grand Finals in progress, players, spectators; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] China - Recent 8. Man playing video game. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]