The final of the Qazaqstan Cyber Games Students League 2026 took place at Astana IT University.

On April 18, the offline final of the QCG Students League 2026 took place at Astana IT University—a major student esports tournament implemented as part of the Qazaqstan Cyber Games project. The event brought together the country's best players in the Counter-Strike 2 discipline and concluded a multi-day online competition that began on April 10.

The President of the National Association for Student Esports noted that the Qazaqstan Cyber Games Students League demonstrated that esports in Kazakhstan has already reached a qualitatively new level.

Rakhmatullo Saidullaev, President of the National Association for Student Esports
We see high interest from young people, serious engagement from universities, and a genuine competitive environment in which strong teams are formed. For us, this is an important signal: esports in the student community is becoming a sustainable and in-demand direction. One of the key tasks of our association is to build a systematic approach to the development of this field in the country, so that students have the opportunity to participate in well-organized tournaments, show themselves, grow, and see further prospects in the industry.

The scale of the tournament is impressive: students from more than 100 universities across Kazakhstan joined the qualifying stage, and the total number of participants exceeded 1,500. As a result of the online selection, the strongest teams advanced to the final stage, where they competed for a prize fund of 3,000,000 tenge.

The final day at AITU was a real celebration: semi-final and final matches, an opening ceremony, a show program, quizzes, and prize giveaways totaling 500,000 tenge. Additional activities included mini-tournaments and fast-captains in CS2 and FC25.

The fight for the championship title ended with the victory of Team KazNMU, which earned 1,200,000 tenge. Team IITU took silver and 800,000 tenge.

According to AITU Rector Altair Akhmetov, esports today is a "full-fledged global industry" and part of a new student culture, and the university campus has become a space for exchanging experience and revealing talents.

Altair Akhmetov, Rector of Astana IT University
Astana IT University consistently supports initiatives that help students unlock their potential in the digital environment. Hosting the Qazaqstan Cyber Games Students League at the university reflects young people's interest in modern technological fields and underscores the importance of esports as part of a new student culture. It is important to us that such projects create a vibrant environment for communication, experience sharing, and talent expression, as well as develop skills in demand in the digital economy of the future.

The event was organized by the NNEF Public Foundation and the Halyk Charitable Foundation of Timur Kulibayev. Together, they created an ecosystem of opportunities for future generations: from infrastructure and funding to targeted support for talented youth. The final took place as part of events dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Halyk Charitable Foundation. The tournament was held with the support of the National Association for Student Esports, iPlay Esports, and the University Alliance of Science and Technology: Astana IT University, Kazakh-British Technical University, and the International University of Information Technologies.

Nariman Abilshaikov, Managing Director of the Halyk Charitable Foundation, stated that supporting initiatives such as the Qazaqstan Cyber Games Students League is a contribution to the development of youth, modern competencies, and new opportunities for students in Kazakhstan.

Nariman Abilshaikov, Managing Director of the Halyk Charitable Foundation
Today, esports is becoming not only a popular direction but also an environment where skills such as teamwork, strategic thinking, quick reaction, and responsibility are formed. We are glad to be part of a project that unites talented young people from across the country and creates a space for their growth and self-realization.

The QCG Students League 2026 confirmed that esports in Kazakh universities is not just entertainment, but a sustainable ecosystem where students develop teamwork, strategic, and digital skills, opening up prospects in the industry of the future.