Qualcomm (Nasdaq: QCOM) announced Friday that it has signed a strategic partnership with Chinese esports company Hero Esports to expand the adoption of the Snapdragon 8 Series mobile platform within its mobile esports ecosystem.
Following this partnership, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chip will become the official chip for China’s top Honor of Kings competition, the King Pro League (KPL), Peacekeeper Elite’s Peace Elite League (PEL), CrossFire Mobile League (CFML) and the QQ Speed Mobile S League. All four esports competitions and titles are owned by Tencent and operated by Hero Esports.
Qualcomm has been the official chip provider for China’s KPL since 2021, and this is the first time the partnership extends to three other mobile esports competitions that cover not only MOBA but also FPS and racing.
It should be noted that all four leagues are using Android smartphones as gaming devices rather than Apple’s iPhone. Facing the gradual phase-out of Apple’s modem orders from last year, Qualcomm is diversifying its revenue streams by deepening its footprint in the Android ecosystem. Esports competition in China is a big part of its “Apple exit” strategy.
According to Yahoo Finance’s Opening Bid podcast, the tech duo’s licensing agreement between Apple and Qualcomm ends in 2027. “That’s our contract you know, and if we don’t get a new contract [with Apple], that’s what it is,” said Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon in 2025. “We’re diversifying beyond declining Apple business.”