Tencent Pledges CNY 1bn To Golden Spatula Esports
Tencent Games has pledged a further CNY 1 billion, roughly $140 million, over three years to grow the ecosystem around mobile auto-battler Fight of the Golden Spatula, and said total esports prize money will double in 2027.
The plans, announced on November 6, 2026, give one of China's biggest competitive titles a larger stage in a market that is closely watched by anyone following esports betting.
Huang Lingdong, a Tencent Games vice president and head of the game's China operations, made the announcement at a presentation in Xi'an themed around an esports upgrade and a PC launch, according to Press The Game. The CNY 1 billion is earmarked for player culture, creator support and esports over the next three years.
He said the game has passed 240 million registered users and 50 million monthly active users in its first five years, with related content generating more than 270 billion plays and more than 10 million views per hour in September.
A Bigger 2027 Competition Structure
The 2027 esports system is built on three national open tournaments plus a new annual championship, where top players from different competition routes meet at the game's anniversary event.
An annual points table will link results from the national opens, peak-level competitions, platform tournaments and university events.
Total esports prize money for 2027 is planned to double compared with 2026. The annual championship ecosystem prize pool will reach CNY 10 million, about $1.4 million, with CNY 3 million going to the annual champion.
Tencent also said the game recorded more than 10 million entries in its competitions in each of the past two years.
Stage, Students And Cities
Live events will get a new octagonal stage that seats eight players around one table, plus a dedicated fan area and multiple commentary perspectives. The women's competition will bring in a fashion brand partner and work with content platforms on player-focused content.
For university players, a new college esports brand will launch with event tools and incentives worth millions of yuan, and the number of offline campus tournaments is planned to rise from 100 to 300.
Tencent also plans to take events across China, with Chengdu, Changsha, Shanghai and Shenzhen among the future host cities. Huang thanked the Xi'an cultural tourism bodies and Qujiang Cultural Tourism Group for supporting the Xi'an presentation.
PC Edition On The Way
Ye Jing, the game's publishing executive producer, said a PC edition built for computers will arrive in the next music-themed season. Reservations opened on the day of the announcement. Account data, matchmaking and friends will be shared with the mobile version, so players can compete with friends across devices.
The announcement comes after a busy period for Tencent in esports. Our earlier coverage of Tencent Esports' Asian Games technology plan shows the company's reach in organised competition is expanding well beyond its own titles.
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