Esports explodes in Chongqing! Valorant teams up with Chongqing to create a trendsetting legend

When the fiery passion of esports meets the majestic landscapes of Chongqing, an unprecedented cultural feast grandly unfolds across the Bayu land. From August 20 to 24, 2025, the Valorant Champions Tour CN League Stage 2 Playoffs joined forces with the Carnival’s second anniversary celebration to land in Chongqing. The BLG team fought through every challenge to be crowned the annual champion, sharing the responsibility with DRG, EDG, and XLG to represent the CN region at the global championship in Paris.

As a shining star in the global esports IP arena, Valorant’s influence has long transcended the virtual realm, reaching every corner of the real world. On this trip to Chongqing, it pioneered a deep integration of urban cultural tourism and esports trend culture, carefully building a new consumer ecosystem of “esports + cultural tourism + trend culture,” injecting vibrant youth energy and cutting-edge international trends into the mountain city.

The Chongqing Science Hall instantly transformed into a thrilling battleground, where top domestic professional teams clashed fiercely for the 2025 VCT CN League annual championship and the precious ticket to Paris. Over five intense days, every moment gripped the hearts of online and offline audiences alike, immersing everyone in this passionate esports festival crafted by Valorant, experiencing firsthand the unique charm of the “fearless spirit.”

In the end, BLG, DRG, EDG, and XLG emerged as the top four seeds of the CN region, carrying the hopes and glory of the CN division as they proudly marched toward the global championship in Paris. This event mirrored the booming development of China’s esports industry and, set against Chongqing’s splendid backdrop, showcased the distinctive style of the “Cyber Mountain City” to millions of esports fans, making Chongqing shine brightly on the esports world map.

While the thrilling matches played a rousing anthem for esports fans, Guanyinqiao Pedestrian Street became an exclusive cultural party for the city. From 4 PM to 10 PM daily, nearly a thousand square meters of creative interactive zones buzzed with excitement, featuring spectacular esports exhibition matches. Cosplayers, stand-up comedians, rappers, famous streamers, and KOL influencers flocked in, alongside crossover guests like Guo Ailun, Fu Hang, and GALI, delivering a dazzling audiovisual feast blending trends and culture for Chongqing residents and visitors alike.

Especially eye-catching was a giant “Ice Wall” inspired by the game hero Sage’s abilities, standing 1.7 meters tall and 4 meters wide, proudly erected by the riverside near Chongqing Grand Theatre. In the scorching summer, it served as a refreshing marvel attracting tourists to stop and take photos. This clever fusion of esports IP, urban public space, and trendy art broke traditional esports event boundaries, making esports culture pulse strongly within the city’s cultural heartbeat, becoming a new cultural symbol of mountain city Chongqing.

On the night of August 23, a breathtaking drone light show illuminated Chongqing’s night sky, igniting the city’s passion. Five thousand drones soared like stars, painting classic Valorant characters and iconic elements across the vast night canvas with light and shadow, harmonizing perfectly with Chongqing’s stunning nighttime landscape to weave a dreamlike spectacle.

This visual feast, a perfect blend of technology and art, not only highlighted China’s outstanding achievements in tech art but also deeply resonated with the international IP and Chongqing’s city culture. Through this light and shadow dream, the audience felt Chongqing’s boundless vitality on the innovative path of “esports + cultural tourism + trend culture,” fully showcasing the city’s cultural confidence and international flair on the world stage.

The musical extravaganza of the Valorant Carnival was equally unforgettable. From August 22 to 23, music filled Chongqing Grand Theatre with vibrant energy. Riot Games, humorously dubbed the “music company” by players, once again demonstrated its exceptional strength in music. Six renowned DJs including 2z2, Juelz, and RLGrime passionately performed, brilliantly interpreting classic game tracks live, taking the audience on a soul-stirring musical journey.

Amid the stirring melodies, players and spectators seemed to travel through time, returning to the esports arena filled with passion and struggle, feeling the close teamwork and fierce competition. This concert was not only an ultimate auditory delight but also a profound emotional resonance, allowing the esports spirit to continue and elevate through the waves of music.

On the evening of August 24, rapper Zhou Yan (GAI) made his debut on the Chaotianmen stage, passionately performing the classic track “Chaotianmen” to cheer on the CN region teams heading to the Valorant global championship in Paris.

When the stirring music merged with magnificent landscapes, esports culture and the city’s heritage resonated in harmony, instantly igniting a thunderous wave of enthusiasm on site. This moment not only sparked the fiery passion in players’ hearts but also vividly reflected Chongqing’s cultural confidence and international temperament, demonstrating the city’s bold stance at the forefront of the esports cultural wave.

Looking back, since Valorant officially entered the Chinese market in 2023, Chongqing has formed an inseparable bond with this world-class esports IP. Especially after the launch of the Chinese server, the heavyweight Chinese “Duelist” hero—“Yi Jue” was introduced, whose background story is deeply rooted in mountain city Chongqing. The brave, determined, and independent hero perfectly embodies the spirit and character of Chongqing.

At that time, the Valorant IP collaborated with Chongqing’s cultural and tourism departments to meticulously create the cross-sector project “Chongqing Hero, Yi Jue Mountain City,” opening an innovative journey blending esports with cultural tourism. Now, two years later, “Yi Jue” returns home, once again serving as a strong bridge connecting virtual and reality through the new integration of esports and cultural tourism, continuing the legendary story between Chongqing and Valorant.

This is not only an extension of digital gaming and esports culture in the mountain city but also a bold attempt by Chongqing to build the city brand image of “Majestic Landscapes・New Rhythm Chongqing.” Esports, cultural tourism, trends, and tradition collide and blend in this magical city, blooming a unique charm.

From the intense battles of top esports tournaments to the joyful celebrations of trend culture parties, from the stunning drone light shows to the passionate concerts, the Valorant Carnival brought Chongqing a comprehensive, multi-layered urban cultural feast. This grand event acted like a magical key, opening the door to Chongqing’s innovative development of “esports + cultural tourism + trend culture,” injecting continuous vitality into the city and helping Chongqing shine brilliantly on the international stage, steadily advancing toward the grand goal of becoming a world-class “esports city.”

It is foreseeable that with the ongoing deep integration of the esports industry and cultural tourism, this charming city of Chongqing will shine even brighter, becoming a dazzling star on the international esports map. Let us all look forward to the CN region teams carrying Chongqing’s resilient, loyal, open, and pioneering city spirit as they bravely compete on the Paris global championship stage, creating new glory and winning more honor and applause for Chongqing and Chinese esports!