E-sports champions put Chengdu back on world gaming map

Chinese e-sports club Chengdu AG (All Gamers) won the CFS (Crossfire Stars) 2025 Grand Finals on Sunday in its home city of Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, defeating the Philippines' STS (Team Stallions) 3-1.

This marks Chengdu AG's third CFS world championship, following previous victories in 2014 and 2021, reinforcing its status as a global e-sports powerhouse.

This year's CFS Grand Finals featured 16 top teams from Asia, Europe, Africa, North and South America, with a total prize pool of $1.43 million, according to the organizers.

Chengdu's status as a rising e-sports hub received a significant boost last year with the establishment of the CrossFire Professional League's presence at the Tianfu Long Island Digital Cultural and Creative Park in the Chengdu High-Tech Zone.

This strategic move positioned the city as a key hub for the league's operations, production, and training, providing local teams with world-class training systems and resources, said officials at the Chengdu High-Tech Zone.

Chengdu hosted 15.3 percent of the country's e-sports events last year, second only to Shanghai, according to the 2024 China Esports Industry Report.

pengchao@chinadaily.com.cn