At the mouth of the Yangtze River lies Shanghai, a city at the forefront of development in China and around the world. It is where the youngest voices often burst forth, and where the most trendy scenes are painted. E-sports, as a trend among young people, have taken root and flourished in Shanghai in recent years, earning it the reputation of the ‘Global Esports Capital’. As the year draws to a close, the dropping temperatures have not cooled the enthusiasm of e-sports players. Not long ago, the 2024 Counter-Strike World Championship concluded successfully at the Pudong Development Bank Oriental Sports Center, providing us with a world-class e-sports feast.
The top-tier competition made its Asian debut, with a prodigy defeating the Galactic Battleship. In the gaming community, Counter-Strike (CS) is a well-known game that has been praised and loved by players since its inception in 1999. After twenty-five years, its charm has been refined and spread over time, with waves of players joining in, giving rise to professional players who lead the way and a series of brilliant professional competitions.
The 2024 Counter-Strike World Championship, spanning 35 days, came to a close on the evening of December 15th. Russian prodigy donk, leading Team Spirit, defeated the seasoned team FaZeClan in the finals to claim the championship title of this prestigious Major event. At just 17 years old and with only a year of professional experience, donk’s unparalleled performance led his team to the most valuable championship title and the MVP award of the tournament. This has not only captivated the esports community but also attracted the attention of those who do not usually follow esports, marveling at the charm of esports and the achievements of the young.
As a hub for both domestic and international visitors, the esports event has spurred a cultural and tourism boom. Among the 56 professional teams that came to Shanghai, 54 were from overseas, bringing over 700 professional players and staff, including many young players visiting China for the first time. Through their participation, the players experienced the modernity and development of the ‘Eastern Giant,’ felt the openness and inclusiveness of a metropolis, and immersed themselves in the diverse Chinese culture and local customs. Whether it was the convenient and orderly urban construction or the mouth-watering delicacies, the players were full of praise. Shanghai, as a window to the world, welcomes millions of foreign visitors annually. With the arrival of CS Major participants, the number of inbound tourists in Shanghai this year reached 6 million. Most of these professional players have been following the Counter-Strike World Championship since their childhood, having seen the events in延雪平, Cologne, Katowice, and Boston. Now, as competitors, they came to Shanghai to experience the city’s charm and the passion of the fans. Nearly 90,000 tickets were sold for this World Championship, including over 80,000 domestic tickets and nearly 10,000 international tickets. Brothers from all over the world and friends from all corners gathered in Shanghai to watch their favorite esports competitions. In addition to the events, they explored the streets and alleys of Shanghai, savoring the vibrant and bustling atmosphere of the city. To enhance the esports atmosphere for visitors, the event organizer, Perfect World Esports, decorated the city with thematic decorations for this tournament. At bus stops and intersections, GO仔HAI, along with his friend BYE, toured the city on double-decker buses, greeting tourists. GO仔HAI is the mascot of the 2024 Shanghai Major, with a name that sounds like ‘Hi’ in English and ‘Hai’ in Chinese, symbolizing a warm welcome to players and gamers from around the world to enjoy the feast in Shanghai’s Major.This dragon-born junior detective, adorned with horns and a tail, embodies justice with iron shoulders and harbors competitive spirit within. As a model investigator, he has participated in a series of promotional events such as BilibiliWorld, Yangpu Summer Night, and CS City Tour, gaining widespread popularity.
Upon arriving at Wanda Plaza in Wujiaochang, Yangpu District, one can look up to see the giant inflatable HAI treasure perched on the rooftop; moving forward, HAI treasure’s presence is also indispensable on the naked-eye 3D screen. After a meal, taking a hundred steps ensures longevity, and visitors to Wujiaochang, well-fed and content, stroll to the North Bund. What greets their eyes is a giant HAI treasure check-in point, with the bustling traffic of Pudong on one side and the urban heritage of Puxi on the other. HAI treasure, lying on the North Bund, looks forward to a city where esports enthusiasts and audiences cross the zebra crossings representing the city, arriving at Shanghai, the ‘Global Capital of Esports’. In addition to Wujiaochang and the North Bund, other scenic spots have also set up CS City Tour stamp collection activity check-in points, where the atmosphere of esports can be sensed everywhere. The Wukang Building Post Office has witnessed countless stories of letter exchanges, and in recent days, it has also witnessed the new face of esports enthusiasts striving and competing; the World Expo Source has experienced the hustle and bustle of the Expo and recently experienced the liveliness of esports; the First Department Store Commercial Center has spanned the years on Nanjing Road, with goods flowing through time, and these days it presents a unique esports scene. Along the way, the exclusive benefits of watching Major games at the World Expo Source, the First Department Store Commercial Center, and the Qiantan Business District have made tourists爱不释手. As the competition approaches, the audience boards the subway and heads to the Oriental Sports Center, briefly saying goodbye to HAI treasure on the platform. Exiting the subway station and counting the CS Major-themed flags along the streets, the charm of Shanghai and the esports charm of Counter-Strike intermingle along the way, converging in front of the stadium. On December 14, 2024, before the Shanghai Major semi-finals, two special pieces of music resonated in the ears of the audience, lingering and echoing for a long time. The CS music box themes ‘Ai Hei’ and ‘Hua Lian’ were performed on the pre-match stage. ‘Ai Hei’ is a Chinese Zhuang folk song music box in the CS game, the second music box from China included in the CS game, and also the first music box in a Chinese ethnic minority language. The song title ‘Ai Hei’ comes from an interjection in the song, which is also an exclamation of joy and complacency among players when they win the game and tease each other. ‘Ai Hei’ combines Zhuang ethnic folk songs with electronic music loved by CS players, creating a humorous and playful atmosphere in various combat scenarios.The blend of folk songs and electronic music in this song not only possesses a simple narrative quality but also an energetic rhythmic sense, capable of transcending time and space to touch and connect players of different ages and regions. Another song, ‘Hua Lian,’ is the first Chinese music box for the CS game, performed by the renowned Qinqiang opera artist Zhao Yangwu. ‘Hua Lian’ integrates the Qinqiang opera genre with modern rock, striving for a distinct style, with a light rhythm and forceful pronunciation.
It expresses the players’ spirit of moving forward and striving for victory through the high, unrestrained, bold, and energetic personality of the ‘Da Qin’ sound, while leveraging the widespread dissemination of pop music to enhance the work’s influence. Listening to the music filled with tension is like drifting down the Li River, immersed in the ethereal beauty of Guilin’s landscapes; it also feels like crossing the Wei River to the north, facing the rugged and high-spirited Loess Plateau. Both ‘Ei Hei’ and ‘Hua Lian’ are part of the CS domestic ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’ plan, encouraging young people to enjoy the exhilarating competitive experience of CS and to find their self-worth through the appeal of traditional culture. Whether it’s live or online spectators, they can all feel the charm of traditional Chinese culture from the performance. On December 15th, at the final opening ceremony, the Shanghai Senior Jazz Orchestra brought us back to Shanghai with two live jazz performances. One is ‘People on a Journey,’ and the other is ‘Night Fragrance,’ as if narrating past life events and savoring the melodiousness of life. Yet, beneath these gentle notes, one feels vitality and vigor. Several elderly individuals, nearly 90 years old, skillfully and effortlessly play their instruments, just like the gamers on and off the stage who control their gaming peripherals. Stepping to the beat and following the horn, life has just begun, and the game has just begun. Counter-Strike, as a hardcore competitive game with a long history and a vast player base, shares many commonalities with traditional sports in terms of its appeal, and many sports stars are loyal players of Counter-Strike. For this Counter-Strike World Championship, the organizers invited China’s first F1 driver, Zhou Guanyu, to compete as a star performer, competing with other e-sports stars. Whether it’s Counter-Strike legends s1mple, Zeus, pasha, and JACKZ, or the two-time DOTA2 International Invitational champion Yatoro, or domestic professional players SOMEBODY, Summer, and ChildKing, even the community’s favorite commentator MachineWJQ, all threw themselves into the game with Zhou Guanyu, providing the audience with an entertaining performance.Whether it’s traditional sports or esports, the events of these cultural and sports projects can make the audience love from the bottom of their hearts. This is not only because of the technical and tactical interpretations of high-level competitions, but also because they contain wholehearted emotions, the spirit of unremitting struggle, and various life experiences.
In this Counter-Strike World Championship, the astonishing performance of the 17-year-old genius donk makes people admire and worship. The 34-year-old veteran karrigan’s tears on the field also move people and make them sigh. The stage of competition is always cruel. There are those who achieve success quickly, those who reach the other shore after experiencing many difficulties, those who persevere for ten years like one day, and those who keep seeking but cannot obtain. Every event is a story, and every player is a life. Watching their stories and savoring their lives, the audience is unconsciously infected and gains the fighting spirit, unremitting motivation, and open-minded feelings. Counter-Strike has attracted generations of people for more than ten years. Esports has developed for decades and inspired generations of people. On the stands of the Oriental Sports Center, the father and son watching the game together in the crowd are passing on the spirit of esports.
