Honestly, before heading to Jinan last weekend, I didn't have high expectations for the CrossFire IP Carnival.
After all, from its launch to now, the PC version of CrossFire has been running for a full 18 years, while the mobile version, CrossFire: Legends, is approaching its 11th year. When I first started playing CrossFire, I was literally an "elementary school student." Now, after so many years, like other players, I know CrossFire inside and out. Based on conventional experience, I thought this IP Carnival might not impress me much.
But once I officially entered the venue, I realized that CrossFire had truly delivered. At this IP Carnival, CrossFire started with "player emotional bonds," connecting various in-game and out-of-game benefits and announcements, turning the event into an annual feast for CFers.
At the beginning of the event, the premiere of the player documentary drew everyone's thoughts back to the era of "300 million mouse gunfight dreams." The documentary showcased the emotional bonds between CFers and CrossFire—the characters featured included not only professional esports players but also ordinary players with diverse real-life identities such as doctors, firefighters, and university professors. In their daily lives, they shine in their respective fields, while in their spare time, they devote themselves to the battlefield of CrossFire. Watching the figures flash across the screen, I believe many players present, like me, felt the warmth and strength of the CrossFire player family.
Echoing the content of this documentary was the subsequent celebrity exhibition match segment—at the event, rapper Wang Yitai performed his hit songs "Unblinking" and "Dangerous Party" for the entire audience, with the female vocals provided by popular rising streamer "CF BaoBao," refreshing people's preconceived notions of this "voice-controlled" streamer.
After the musical performances, Olympic high jump champion Zhang Guowei made a surprise appearance. Together with Wang Yitai, BaoBao, and CrossFire legendary players White Shark, Ma Zhe, and Chong'er, they participated in the "In the Name of AK" exhibition match, vividly illustrating how the "300 Million Strength" has taken root across various industries.
Finally, YH became the ACE of the match with outstanding performance, winning an exclusive custom skin. Wang Yitai and Zhang Guowei further heated up the atmosphere with an a cappella new song and an abstract little dance, respectively.
Equally exciting were the major announcements made on-site by Mr. Xu Guang, General Manager of Tencent Interactive Entertainment K1 Cooperation Department. First and foremost, it's worth mentioning the simultaneous carnival updates and benefit distributions for the three IP products: CrossFire PC, CrossFire: Legends, and CrossFire HD Arena.
For the classic CrossFire PC version, the new "Biohazard Potential" mode has arrived, while classic nostalgic modes like Biohazard Savior, Multiplayer Biohazard Terminator, and Battlefield Mode have fully returned in response to player requests. In terms of benefits, as the event progressed, CrossFire PC launched the distribution event for the new Hero-tier weapon "AK103 - Bathed in Fire Qilin" at 3 PM that afternoon, available for free simply by logging into the game.
The mobile game CrossFire: Legends, following a series of IP collaborations, has launched another major partnership with Pacific Rim. Additionally, the new King-tier weapon "King's Might" is now available in the Collector's Flying Chess event. Players who log in during the event will receive 10,000 Diamonds, and completing event tasks will grant an additional 50 Collector's Dice, allowing everyone to obtain this new King-tier QBZ03 for free.
CrossFire HD Arena launched a new PVE mode called "Secret Realm Mode" and a new Biohazard Pursuit map, "Steam City." On the cosmetic front, the original female character "Ava" and classic re-releases like the "AK-47 Mengde" and "M200 Phantom God" weapons were officially released. Meanwhile, players who completed a match between August 8th and 9th could critically hit 600 Dragon Eggs, which could be used in the Divine Dragon Treasure to draw new HD server re-release melee weapons: "Nepal Military Knife - Dragon Slayer" and "Lightweight Military Axe - Dragon Roar."
In an era where games launch a series of limited-time events to boost daily active users, CrossFire's three platforms continue to offer benefits that are neither grind-heavy nor pay-to-win, with rewards given just for logging in, demonstrating the great sincerity of the planning team.
Furthermore, at this carnival, Xu Guang introduced a major new CFIP product—CrossFire: Undercover, a premium AAA narrative-driven single-player title developed by That’s No Moon studio and globally published by Tencent Interactive Entertainment K1 Cooperation Department and Smilegate. It is currently in steady development and will be officially released soon.
Composed of industry veterans from renowned AAA studios like Naughty Dog.exe and Infinity Ward, That’s No Moon studio will use third-person shooter + stealth gameplay and cinematic narrative presentation in CrossFire: Undercover to deliver next-generation high-quality upgrades to familiar CrossFire elements like "Guardians" and "Ghosts," reshaping the origin story of the CrossFire IP.
Meanwhile, to capture the spirit of the CrossFire IP, besides deeply researching the game's worldview and background settings, Taylor, the Chief Creative Officer of CrossFire: Undercover, and his team members visited China multiple times over the past five years. They personally experienced CF battles in internet cafes and attended CFS esports tournaments, striving to create a AAA masterpiece that Chinese players can understand, accept, and feel the humanistic warmth of.
After a series of announcements brought layers of surprises to the audience, the event reached its highly anticipated climax: the CFPL S28 and CFML S19 dual-platform Summer Finals. In the CFPL S28 Summer Finals held that day, two veteran powerhouse teams, KZ and White Shark, engaged in fierce competition.
Since the start of CFPL, CrossFire esports players have created numerous breathtaking plays on the professional stage, such as "instant snipe kills" and "clutch 1-vs-many situations," maximizing the spectacle of the matches, and CFPL S28 was no exception. During the competition, White Shark erupted in the first game despite being significantly behind, achieving an extreme comeback. They then carried this momentum through the subsequent matches, winning the championship of this finals with a 3-1 score, thereby earning the honorable qualification to participate in the CrossFire project at the EWC "Esports World Cup" in Paris.
On the second day, during the CFML S19 Summer Finals, KZ.Douyu and White Shark, who reached the mobile finals for the first time, engaged in another fierce battle for the championship. The match was incredibly close, with both teams fighting hard. In the end, White Shark won 4-3, putting a perfect ending to the entire CrossFire IP Carnival.
As the final matches concluded, with drums beating and flags waving in the arena, I genuinely felt the strength and future potential of CrossFire, this national-level FPS IP. From the packed audience seats, it was easy to see that 18 years of operation have not diminished players' passion for CrossFire; instead, it has become more concentrated and powerful. Through this grand event filled with nostalgic warmth, esports excitement, and innovative power, CrossFire rewarded players' expectations, demonstrating its determination to keep pace with the times and walk alongside players even after 18 years.
Eighteen years is certainly a time to reflect. But more than just cold operational numbers, this mutual dedication between the developers and players is the best definition of "evergreen."