On October 19, the 2025 Counter-Strike Asian Invitational (CAC 2025) successfully concluded at the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Oriental Sports Center. After six days of intense competition, the Brazilian team Legacy defeated formidable opponents from around the world and, in a five-map series in the grand final, defeated 3DMAX to claim the CAC 2025 championship.As a world-class CS tournament, CAC 2025 saw comprehensive upgrades in terms of event scale, international influence, spectator experience, and city-wide engagement. It once again demonstrated the global appeal of Chinese esports and contributed to Shanghai’s efforts to accelerate its development as the “Global Esports Capital.”
A classic esports brand makes a fresh debut: CAC 2025 reignites the passion for esports
Since the inaugural CAC was held in 2018, Perfect World Esports has remained committed to its mission of building a “top-tier tournament brand,” continuously refining the CS tournament ecosystem. The organization has hosted the CAC three times—in 2018, 2019, and 2023—with the 2019 and 2023 editions both designated as S-tier world championships. These events delivered a premier competitive experience to Chinese players,while also driving the development of CS in China and across Asia. In 2024, Perfect World Esports went a step further by hosting a CS Major—the highest-tier event in the series. Spanning 35 days, the tournament set a new benchmark for CS event production quality and propelled the popularity of CS esports to unprecedented heights.
After years of refinement and development, CAC 2025 has undergone a comprehensive upgrade, setting new records in terms of scale, prestige, competition format, and overall experience.The total prize pool for this year’s tournament has increased from $500,000 to $1 million, and the number of participating teams has expanded from 8 to 16, featuring top-tier teams from Europe, the Americas, and Asia. The tournament structure is now more scientifically designed and international in scope, with the introduction of a regional qualifier system for the first time. This allows more teams from different regions to step onto the stage in Shanghai, truly realizing the motto: “Global Showdown, Rise to Fame.”
This year’s CAC is being held at the Oriental Sports Center, where the facilities have been completely renovated to offer on-site spectators a more comfortable and immersive viewing experience. The finals format has been upgraded from a best-of-three to a best-of-five series, making the battle for the championship even more intense and suspenseful, and allowing spectators to fully enjoy CS competition at the highest level.
While delivering a premier tournament experience to players worldwide, the CAC has once again demonstrated China’s professional capabilities and cultural confidence in hosting world-class esports events, providing a powerful boost to the international development of China’s esports industry.
Supported by Badminton Champions, Empowering the Convergence of Sports and Esports
As the esports industry continues to grow and its audience expands, traditional sports and esports are not only converging philosophically but also seeing many traditional athletes join the ranks of esports enthusiasts. Shi Yuqi, the 2025 Badminton World Championships men’s singles champion and a world-renowned badminton star, is a dedicated Counter-Strike enthusiast. This year’s CAC has specially invited this world champion as a guest to offer his blessings for the event and express his passion and support for esports.
In the video, Shi Yuqi said, “With the CS Asia Invitational just around the corner, as a CS player, I certainly won’t miss this esports extravaganza. I’ll be cheering on all the teams alongside you from my screen, and I hope every participating team and player gives it their all and plays to their heart’s content. CAC 2025—let’s get fired up!”
This heartfelt and passionate show of support not only bridges the gap between traditional sports and esports but also conveys a fighting spirit that transcends specific disciplines and platforms. Whether in traditional sports or esports, the unwavering desire for victory and the relentless pursuit of personal growth remain the constant beliefs of all athletes.Shi Yuqi’s tenacity on the badminton court has inspired countless sports enthusiasts, and his support for CAC 2025 has similarly inspired countless esports fans. This represents a cultural collision between different competitive disciplines, as well as the expansion and传承 of a shared sporting spirit.
Integrating Culture, Tourism, Commerce, Sports, and Exhibitions to Create a New Ecosystem for Esports Consumption
The impact of CAC 2025 extends far beyond the competition arena; this event has broken down barriers by collaborating with resources from various sectors—including culture, sports, business, and tourism—to create an immersive “esports + city” experience.
When you visit Shanghai, you’ll have the chance to see exquisite decorations along major subway lines. Public service announcements promoting esports on subways and buses continue to spread esports culture, drawing more people to this esports extravaganza. Step into Shanghai’s bustling Wujiaochang district, and at Bailian Youyi City, you can experience uniquely designed, visually striking CS-themed decorations and immerse yourself in a youthful, trendy esports atmosphere;Strolling through MixC at Suzhou River Bay, you can watch the CAC live stream on the large outdoor screen outside the cinema and catch the high-octane moments of the CS matches; in the Expo City and Qiantan commercial districts, spectators can also enjoy exclusive ticket stub discounts for this year’s CAC, while the exciting second-screen live broadcast on the Expo City screen has drawn crowds of esports enthusiasts to stop and watch.
The CS-themed transit card designs introduced at this year’s CAC are available across public transportation systems in more than 330 cities nationwide, enhancing the event’s nationwide impact and allowing esports enthusiasts from all over the country to join in this thrilling esports extravaganza.
From competition venues to urban spaces, and from in-person interactions to commercial partnerships, CAC 2025 embraces a more open and inclusive approach, ensuring that esports truly becomes an integral part of urban culture and everyday life.
The event’s influence extends worldwide, helping Shanghai establish itself as the “Capital of Esports”
As a key hub in the global esports landscape, Shanghai is accelerating its efforts to become the “Global Esports Capital.” The successful hosting of CAC 2025 marks a significant milestone in the implementation of this strategy. The event attracted attention from teams, media outlets, and brands around the world, once again drawing global focus to Shanghai and showcasing the city’s organizational capabilities and cultural appeal in the esports sector.
With the successful conclusion of CAC 2025, this tournament—which holds a special place in the hearts of countless gamers—has once again injected strong momentum into China’s esports industry. From the tournament brand to consumer experiences, and from cultural dissemination to the industry ecosystem, CAC has demonstrated new heights of professionalism and internationalization in China’s esports sector.
In the future, Perfect World Esports will continue to enhance the professionalism of its tournaments, build a more comprehensive tournament system, bring more international events to China, and deepen cooperation with city administrators, cultural tourism and commercial partners, as well as industry partners, to jointly build an open, diverse, and sustainable esports ecosystem.
Amid the players’ cheers and the crowd’s applause, CAC 2025 came to a successful close, but a new chapter in China’s esports history has only just begun.
原创文章，作者：游茶妹儿，禁止转载：https://youxichaguan.com/en/archives/194603
