The CS Asia Championships 2025, one of the biggest Counter-Strike 2 tournaments in Asia, wrapped up in Shanghai on Oct 19, with Legacy from Brazil taking home the crown.

The event kicked off on Oct 14 and gathered a total of 16 teams from across the world, including Europe, Asia and the Americas, to compete for a prize pool of $1 million. In the grand final held on Oct 19, the Brazilian team Legacy defeated 3DMAX, 3-2, to get the trophy, with Liquid winning over the French team Heroic to secure third place.

Launched in 2018, the tournament is organized by Perfect World Esports in Shanghai and has attracted a number of top teams globally. This year's event marks the fourth edition of the tournament, with previous ones taking place in 2018, 2019 and 2023.

Receiving loud cheers from the audience during the grand final, Lucas "lux" Meneghini from team Legacy said he was deeply impressed by Chinese esports fans. They show pure passion and love for the game, as well as respect for all players while enjoying every moment.

"Every time someone asked me about the best city I've visited, I would say it is Shanghai. It is a really nice city," Meneghini said. "The Chinese fans are amazing, and the tournament was great. We are friends with some Chinese players as well, and they are very kind and humble."

For Team Liquid, they summarized this trip as a journey of "improvement, development and chemistry". Jonathan "EliGE" Jablonowski from the team, who has a large Chinese fanbase, is always impressed by the city and the nation's audiences.

"It's always been a nice and great experience to come to China, as everybody is really nice and friendly," Jablonowski said. "The coolest thing of being a professional esports player for over 10 years is being able to travel, see the world, meet different people and cultures."

The love for esports is bridging people with different backgrounds and fostering a global community. Chen Yuhang and Ma Qi, both 22, enjoyed the show with the friendship with other members of the community.

"This is my first time to see a Counter-Strike tournament offline and I am amazed," Chen said. "The esports atmosphere in China is getting stronger, and it is always interesting to know different people through the game and event."

Shanghai has been ramping up efforts to become a global esports hub. Official data shows that in the first half of the year, Shanghai's esports tournament revenue reached 508 million yuan ($71.31 million), accounting for 46.91 percent of the nation's total.