- Tencent is working on a new version of Arena of Valor, specifically for the 2022 Asia Games
- Arena of Valor will be one of eight games played as medal sports in the Asia Games
- What are the reasons for the creation of the new version?
Tencent revealed they are working on a separate version of their MOBA title Arena of Valor, specifically made for the Asia Games.
New Version of Arena of Valor Coming to the 2022 Games
With the Asia Games fast approaching, intense preparations are on the way. Eight games have been chosen to be played as medal sports, one of these being Tencent’s mobile MOBA game, Arena of Valor.
Tencent is a massive Chinese media conglomerate, with work done in telecommunications, television, and video games. Arena of Valor is perhaps their most played game, played all around East and South-East Asia, and with the recent inclusion of the game into the Asia Games, the company has released information they are developing a separate version of the game, specifically for the sporting event.
Tencent said that the game’s new version will concentrate on a reduced amount of socialization, commercialization, and non-battle systems, with the main goal focusing on Arena of Valor’s “core competitive features.” The new version will feature heroes from different versions of the MOBA title. Arena of Valor is called Honor of Kings in China, and the two games have some major differences, including some different heroes.
The version, being made for the Asia Games, will include content from both games, allowing players to pick up heroes they are already comfortable playing with.
The Reasons for Creating the New Version of the Game
The Arena of Valor team said in the press release that the game’s competitive spirit has made Arena of Valor so popular around the world. “And with it, we will provide comprehensive support in areas like game development, event operations, athlete selection, training management, and anti-doping,” they continued.
Another reason why Tencent might want to create a new version of the game is India. In September last year, Arena of Valor was banned in India due to data privacy concerns. It is still unknown if the Asian Games version will be available in the country to conduct qualifiers for the event.
Tencent isn’t the only company, making a specialized version for the Asia Games. Recently Krafton, PUBG’s developers, announced they are making a new version of their popular battle royal as well.
The Asian Games 2022 will be played from September 10 to 25 in Hangzhou, China. Esports games were featured as a demonstration event in the last Asia Games in 2018, but players were not awarded medals. The 2022 games will be played as medal sports, like traditional competitions. Dota 2, Dream Three Kingdoms 2, EA Sports FIFA, Hearthstone, League of Legends, PUBG Mobile Asian Games Version, and Street Fighter V are the other seven titles that will be played alongside Arena of Valor.
