Kazakhstan is setting trends in esports. The results of Almaty Cyber Games Media & Cup have been summarized.

The Almaty Cyber Games Media & Cup tournament, which served as the finale of a large-scale national esports competition, demonstrated how seriously computer games influence the formation of the digitalization industry, the foundation of which is being laid in its projects by the NNEF public fund. The most prominent esports athletes from Kazakhstan participated in this prestigious competition.

The tournament was organized by the Digitalization Department of the Almaty City Akimat, the National Association of Student Esports (NESA), and the iPlay Esports platform. The event's general partner was the Halyk Charitable Fund by Timur Kulibaev. The tournament took place with the support of the University Alliance of Science and Technology, an alliance of universities under the NNEF public fund, which brings together leading universities in the country: the International University of Information Technologies (IUIT), Astana IT University, the Kazakh-British Technical University, the Kenzhegali Sagadiyev University of International Business, and Energo University.

When we established the National Association of Student Esports in 2020, we had a clear goal: to make esports a tool for youth development, not just a leisure activity. Today, we see this idea being realized. Thousands of students from across the country are gaining real experience in teamwork, strategic thinking, stress resistance, and digital skills that are in demand in any modern profession.

We are proud that Kazakhstan is no longer watching esports growth from the outside but is instead setting trends, raising champions, and forming a professional community. This is only the beginning. I am confident that we have international victories, new formats, and a generation of students ahead of us, for whom esports will become a ticket to the future.

Almaty Cyber Games Media & Cup 2025 became part of the educational, cultural, and digital environment in Kazakhstan. The next step is entering the international arena. Very soon, the project organizers will present a new format, Almaty Cyber Games International, which will bring together participants from Central Asian countries. Kazakhstan intends to set standards and lead the development of regional esports.

Sagynbek Shunkayev, Director of the Halyk Charitable Fund

Esports is a field that requires discipline, order, team spirit, the development of strategic thinking, and the ability to quickly adapt to external challenges — exactly what global trends demand of us today. Therefore, in the framework of esports development, the Halyk Fund, in addition to organizing tournaments, plans to equip cybersecurity classrooms, which will be an important step in promoting digital hygiene among young people.

The Halyk Fund has always aimed to support initiatives focused on the development of youth, technology, and new forms of education. Esports is the intersection of all these areas. We believe that projects like ACG create opportunities for growth, engagement, and self-determination for the new generation.

The prize fund of Almaty Cyber Games Media & Cup 2025 was seven million tenge. Four million tenge went to the winners of the ACG Cup, two million tenge were won by participants in the ACG Media league, and one million tenge was distributed among participants in viewer activities and mini-tournaments.

Winners of Almaty Cyber Games Media & Cup 2025

In the Counter-Strike 2 discipline, the ALLINNERS team faced the 100PG team. The 100PG team won with a score of 2:1.

In the FC25 discipline — a football simulator — the match between player Aknazar (Akanalito) and player Fyodor (Fenuma) ended in a victory for Fenuma with a score of 3:1.

In the Dota 2 discipline, the Ban Monkey team played against the Verniy team and won with a score of 2:0.

In the Counter-Strike 2 discipline, the Tarakan team competed against the Amomakeme team. The Tarakan team won with a score of 2:0.

The NNEF Fund plays a key role in the institutionalization and sustainable development of esports in Kazakhstan. Within the framework of the NNEF University Alliance, a full ecosystem for the development of digital education and esports culture is being formed: specialized computer classrooms, clubs, and sections are opening in educational institutions, and regular tournaments are held. Thanks to this systematic work, students gain access to modern IT tools and real opportunities to participate in national and international competitions. It is this approach that allowed teams to break into the international Valve rating and gain recognition on leading esports platforms such as HLTV and Likepedia.

Photos: Maxim Morozov, inbusiness.kz