I went to Guangzhou last week, changed into slippers, sat on the back of a local's electric scooter, wandered from Enning Street to Beijing Road, and strolled from Yuexiu Park to the Canton Tower. The char siu, black goose, Yuanji rice rolls, and coconut-stewed black chicken allowed me to taste the hundred flavors of the city's eateries; the modern buildings scattered along the Pearl River banks, set against flowers and the buzz of street life, let me fully appreciate the vibrant charm.
But what impressed me most was the city's long-established youth culture DNA.On the evening of October 18, the Canton Tower, known as the "Slim Waist," lit up with the logo for the Brawl Stars LCQ tournament. This event was also the purpose of my trip: from October 17 to 18, the Brawl Stars World Finals Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) kicked off at the South China Agricultural University Gymnasium.
I know that tournaments held in university gyms usually have a good atmosphere thanks to the enthusiasm of young audiences, but the roar in the SCNU Gymnasium still exceeded my expectations. Cheers in Mandarin, Cantonese, and English rose and fell; the audience neither hid the competitive tension nor withheld applause for their opponents. I think such a fervent live atmosphere deserves this specialLCQ. Because this is the last LCQ in Brawl Stars esports history; next year, when the new tournament system launches, the LCQ format will be replaced by a new scheme. The name "Last Chance" is indeed apt.
Against this backdrop, I witnessed the most brutal match in Brawl Stars history live:On October 18, in the Lower Bracket Final, Bobby's SKC faced off against iKaoss's TH.Many consider Bobby and iKaoss to be the most influential Brawl Stars pro players from the Americas and Europe respectively, and candidates for the title of GOAT. But at this moment, there was only one ticket to the Tokyo Grand Finals. For these two veterans past their prime, missing out on victory could mean retirement.
AsiKaoss led TH to press their advantage, putting SKC in a 0-2 deficit. The arena erupted with the loudest cheers of the past two days—in Game 3, Bobby locked in Pepe. Facing the same 0-2绝境 (desperate situation), on the same map, Out in the Open, and picking the same hero, Pepe. In the Grand Finals three years ago, Bobby used this exact start to overthrow the European powerhouse that dominated the globe, pulling off incredible 1v2 and 1v3 plays to complete a reverse sweep from 0-2 down, making a name for himself in one battle.
Unfortunately, the miracle did not happen again this time.
Bobby lost. HeAs he left, someone in the crowd started chanting hisID, instantly igniting the crowd, with chants of "Bobby"rising and falling. Hearing this, he waved to the audience, walked off stage, but stared at the Golden Ticket for a long time, just as he had sadly gazed at the trophy in previous finals. However, being able to perform a final farewell on the stage of his last dance, on this map that once held hope, using his signature hero, even without securing the ticket, I believe this is a sufficiently romantic story.
After the match,Bobby posted his retirement announcement on social media. His decision to leave the competitive scene stemmed from long-standing health issues. To compete in this tournament, his family traveled specially to Guangzhou, and his teammates and event staff coordinated extensively to allow him to finish the matches in decent condition. He admitted that his goal for this trip was to secure a ticket to the Tokyo Grand Finals; although he regretfully fell short, he acknowledged his performance in this match. Meanwhile, he expressed gratitude for the support from fans worldwide, especially noting the kindness shown by Chinese audiences.
"I built a community that somehow touched every corner of the Earth," is what he is most proud of. Making friends through Brawl Stars, this connection across mountains and seas will not dissipate with his retirement.
It wasn't justBobby. The two host teams, TOC and AXR, also failed to go further, exiting in the group stages respectively. But for them, carrying the expectations of domestic players, playing on home soil meant more than just winning or losing. They still represented the top level of domestic Brawl Stars, displaying impressive tactical literacy and resilience against global powerhouses, lacking only major tournament experience.
This year'sThe most memorable match of the LCQ for domestic players was TOC vs. SKC. TOC also started with a 0-2 deficit, but these young players withstood the pressure amid the arena's cheers, steadily organized a counterattack, and kept the suspense alive until the very last Gem of the final game.
Here is a brief introduction to the competitive features of Brawl Stars for readers unfamiliar with the game: it is a top-down bullet-hell shooter,The 3v3 matches feel somewhat like ARAM in League of Legends. Each match features different maps and win conditions, with common modes including controlling zones for points, destroying the enemy Safe, and collecting Gems.
On the first Control map,TOC seized the early Ban/Pick advantage, using their proficient positional play to disrupt SKC's rhythm and stabilize the situation. In Game 2's Heist mode, both teams traded blows: this mode requires sticking together to defend your position while looking for opportunities to send attackers to chip away at the enemy Safe's health. With only ten seconds left, SKC's player Kuku cut into the fray amidst the chaos created by his teammates, briefly pushing TOC's Safe health down to 26%, while SKC's Safe still had 28%—victory seemed all but secured. At that moment, TOC's DynaMike decisively disengaged from the front line, rushed quickly from the flank, and exploited the time lag in the opponent's retreat to unleash firepower, pressing SKC's Safe health down to 25%. Ultimately, TOC won the game with this 1% health advantage—just as their team name, Trick of China, implies, this play instantly ignited the entire venue.
TOC executed their strategy firmly, using Wendy and Finx for crowd control and Piper for forward pressure, making this battle incredibly fierce. The rising cheers in the venue intensified with each turn of the tide, showing the world the resilience of Chinese players. Many spectators believed this match was worthy of being recorded in the history of domestic Brawl Stars esports.
Unlike many esports titles with higher levels of professionalization, domestic Brawl Stars competitions started later and have stronger community attributes, allowing many grassroots players the opportunity to stand on stage and challenge world-class teams. Among the participating teams this year, some had no club, no training facility, and even no dedicated coach when they signed up; their team logos were hand-drawn by the members themselves. They fought their way here purely out of passion and nearly overturned top overseas teams, fully deserving the full house of applause.
This year's event landing in GuangzhouLCQ,was actually the first time this global tournament created an exclusive home ground for domestic players, marking a milestone offline gathering for the CN server community. Therefore, not only inside the venue,The excitement outside the venue was equally intense: one side featured offline gaming areas, photo walls, Brawl mini-games, anda 3v3 demo booth; on the other side, in the interactive area, KOLs, Cosplayers, and fans from various countries took photos together, the development team engaged directly with players, and in the long queues, people chatted while waiting for player autographs.
In my view, this atmosphere stems from a mutual passion.Supercell brought the LCQ to Guangzhou, delivering the first large-scale international Brawl Stars tournament in China. This wasn't just moving an international competition to China; it was a response to the long-standing expectations of CN server players—this is our, a home ground built from zero to one.
As the tournament concluded, the two tickets to the Tokyo Grand Finals went toNAVI and TH from the EMEA region. After breaking out of the group stage, NAVI continued with a dominant 3who secured the qualification spot with a clean sweep; TH, dropping to the lower bracket, quickly adjusted their state to defeat KDS, grabbing the last ticket and showcasing the deep competitive foundation of the EMEA region.
Guangzhou's unique vibrant atmosphere blended with Brawl Stars' inherent overseas community vibe. From the initial online collaborative preparations, to hearing familiar match sound effects upon entering the venue, to the non-stop cheers over two days and casual chats with players and creators... bit by bit, you could feel the fresh pulse of this community.
The champion list will soon be updated by future tournaments, but this GuangzhouThe significance of the LCQ goes far beyond winning or losing. As an esports enthusiast, I deeply understand: going from watching matches online to gathering offline at the venue, this sense of belonging is particularly precious. Bobby's regret, TOC's passion, and the moments when everyone came together will remain in our hearts. Victory and defeat will eventually fade, but this appointment in the City of Rams belongs to Brawl Stars players, a memory worth savoring over and over again.