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Tencent Invests 1 Billion RMB to Expand TFT and its Esports in China
Tencent has announced a 1 billion RMB investment over the next three years to support the development of Golden Spatula, the Chinese version of Teamfight Tactics, and expand its surrounding esports ecosystem.
Unlike the standard version of TFT, which was previously accessed through the League of Legends client before moving to its own standalone client, Golden Spatula is a mobile-only game available exclusively in select Asian markets.
A Major Investment in Golden Spatula
During a strategic presentation in China, Huang Lingdong, Vice President of Tencent Games and head of its China operations, announced that the company would allocate the 1 billion RMB investment, approximately $140 million USD, across four key areas:
- Game development
- Content creation
- Community development
- Esports competitions
One of the most significant changes concerns tournament prize money. The total annual prize pool across all Golden Spatula tournaments in 2027 will double compared to 2026.
The biggest addition to Golden Spatula's competitive calendar will be a new annual championship, scheduled to take place during the game's anniversary celebrations. The tournament will feature a 10 million RMB prize pool ($1.4 million USD), with 3 million RMB (around $420,000 USD) reserved for the winner.
Additional funding will also support video creators, streamers, and local tournament organisers, making competitive play more accessible to everyday players.
Millions of RMB in additional incentives will be allocated to community-run events and university groups, further encouraging grassroots participation in the scene.
University Esports
Tencent is placing a strong emphasis on university esports within Golden Spatula. The company introduced Prism Academy, a new collegiate esports brand aimed at supporting student players.
Through this initiative, universities will gain access to easy-to-use tournament organisation tools and millions of RMB in incentives to help build and grow their own competitive communities.
As part of this expansion, on-campus tournaments are expected to increase from 100 to 300. Tencent's goal is to bring competitions closer to students, allowing Golden Spatula enthusiasts to organise and participate in tournaments directly at their universities.
According to Tencent, Golden Spatula has experienced significant growth over the past five years, surpassing 240 million registered users and attracting more than 50 million monthly active players.
Its tournaments also recorded over 10 million participant entries per year in 2025 and 2026, while related content generated more than 270 billion views across Chinese social media and video platforms. In September 2026, viewership reached a peak of over 10 million views per hour.
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Featured image credit: Tencent/Riot Games
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