Over 1,000 participants and a prize fund of 10 million tenge: Halyk Cyber Games 2026 took place in Almaty

The final of the republican Halyk Cyber Games Media & Cup 2026 tournament took place in Almaty, bringing together esports teams, bloggers, streamers, and the gaming community of Kazakhstan. The main organizers of the project were the Halyk Timur Kulibev Charitable Foundation and the Digitalization Department of the city of Almaty.

The tournament was part of the anniversary program dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Halyk Timur Kulibev Charitable Foundation. The competitions were held in several formats: a traditional 5×5 team tournament, media team competitions, and for the first time — 2×2 matches.

The total prize fund of the tournament amounted to 10 million tenge. This year, more than 1,000 people from 204 teams participated in the competitions, including participants of open qualifiers, bloggers, and streamers. The project was also supported by the University Alliance of Science and Technology, the NNEF Public Foundation, and the National Association of Student Esports.

In the traditional 5×5 format in the Counter-Strike 2 discipline, the Almaty team Omega won, defeating the Astana-based Rune Eaters in the final. For first place, Omega received 3 million tenge, and Rune Eaters received 2 million tenge for second place.

According to Omega captain Sanzhar Talgat (def1zer), the match was difficult: the opponents had recently strengthened their roster, so the team did not expect an easy game. However, participation in the tournament allowed Omega to earn important ranking points that will help them reach a higher level of competition.

In the Media category, the winning team was T4iPa, which received 2 million tenge. Second place was taken by SixSeven with a prize of 1 million tenge.

For the first time, the tournament featured 2×2 competitions among amateur esports enthusiasts. The victory went to the BRATAN TEAM HCG CUP 2x2 team, which earned 700,000 tenge. The silver medalists were the 2k_plus_2k team, receiving 300,000 tenge.

Nariman Abilshaikov, Managing Director of the Halyk Timur Kulibev Charitable Foundation
Cyber Games are not just a youth hobby. It is an industry, a digital industry, skills, and competencies. More and more young people are getting involved in these games, and through this platform, we establish dialogue with our youth and develop their digital competencies. 

Rakhmatullo Saidullaev, President of the National Association of Student Esports, noted that over the past five years, esports in Kazakhstan has evolved from individual competitions and student initiatives into a large-scale ecosystem uniting students, professional players, bloggers, streamers, and viewers from across the country.

The project's history began in 2020 when the National Association of Student Esports launched student tournaments KESL. In 2022, the initiative continued in the format of Almaty Cyber Games, and since 2025, it has been developed with the support of the Halyk Charitable Foundation.

In 2025, more than 2,200 esports athletes participated in the main seasons of Almaty Cyber Games, while another 1,700+ people competed in mini-tournaments. 36 universities were involved in the project, and the total number of media impressions exceeded 10.7 million.

In the spring of 2026, the online qualifier for the Qazaqstan Cyber Games Students League gathered more than 1,500 students from over 100 universities in Kazakhstan. The final took place on April 18 at the Astana IT University venue. The autumn Media & Cup was held for the first time under the Halyk Cyber Games brand, continuing the development of the initiative that originated in student esports.

In addition to the main competitions, a show program was held for participants and guests of the final, combining classical dance art with digital technologies. Spectators could also try their hand at amateur competitions, participate in virtual racing tracks, and arm wrestling matches.

Organizers note that Halyk Cyber Games aims not only to develop esports in Kazakhstan but also to create opportunities for young people to develop teamwork, strategic thinking, and digital skills.