Dive into the Sweet Competition: Candy Crush Tournaments Where Top Players Battle for a $1 Million Prize!

FRANTICALLY tapping on a phone screen, I try to clear as many blue candies as possible.

As “30 seconds” booms from the announcer, I resist wiping sweat on my forehead from the stage lights.

I play a lot of Candy Crush but I’ve never made it into the top 10 players worldwide Credit: Olivia West Luana took home the $500,000 top prize after swiping her way to winning Credit: Supplied Press were given a preview of levels similar to the ones played in the grand final Credit: Olivia West Competitors play on a speical phone that has the exclusive levels loaded onto it Credit: Olivia West

Then, the phone goes blank and it’s an agonising wait to see if I’ve beaten my nine competitors to snatch the crown.

I’m hoping to prove that I’m as good as the top ten players of candy crush who competed for $500,000 (£377,457.50) in the annual All Stars Tournament with a $1million prize pot.

The first round, heartbreak, then, thanks to carefully applied boosters and laser focus I’m rewarded with first place in round two.

My prize? Not a jackpot but bragging rights for being the top dog of Fleet Street and some game goodies.

While I don’t play the exact levels the world’s top players do, I’ve played something similar and boy was it tough.

I probably play around a 10 mins of the addictive game every few days, which pales in comparison with Luana’s half an hour every day.

I’ve crushed, swiped, blasted and (embarrassingly) even spent to get myself to level 5,946.

Luana, 25, is the real champion of this year’s All Stars, and it’s her third time attempting to have a chance at the prize pot.

Upon winning the art student, whose on level 18,764, said: “I started playing Candy Crush a while back, it was just something I loved to do, a game that always made small moments fun. I never imagined it would one day take me to a live stage in London to compete against the best players in the world. To come home as the Candy Crush All Stars 2026 Champion is something I will carry with me. I am so incredibly proud.”

She’s had experience battling off competitors as she started playing the match-three game on an she shared with her sisters Isabel and Julia who she had to fight off from using her lives for the game.

She’s planning to use her winnings to spend quality time with her family with some and will invest a portion as well.

The ten finalists, who were flown to London for the competition, had been whittled down out of millions over a series of rounds, culminating with knockouts from the safety of their own homes.

Luana, from Bahia in , defeated reigning champion Tiago Pinto, 43, a taxi director from Faro, , whose on level 8,106.

Not a single Brit managed to make it to the final on home soil.

I managed to win the second level for a prize of bragging rights Credit: Olivia West Tiaga won the top prize last year but sadly lost out to Luana this year Credit: Supplied

Luana had plenty of help from her parents to swipe her way into the money, as her dad stepped in between rounds to give her arms a massage.

And she didn’t buckle under the pressure of being on a stage reminiscent of studio – with live scores streamed onto the screens behind.

In fact, she’s been prepping for a live competition all her life, admitting: “When I was young, while crushing I would imagine I was in a live competition – a host commentating, a real venue, opponents making their moves. The fact that All Stars now exists, and I get to compete in it, feels surreal. I feel like I’m honouring my childhood self by literally living her dreams.”

The iconic game has been on phones for 15 years and this year’s youngest competitor is Aaron Tuab, 23, from Seattle, , who started playing after seeing his grandmother get addicted.

And the oldest is fellow American Selita Boyd, 60, a retired computer programmer.

She’s made it to every final since they started in 2021 and is hoping to turn her family into a dynasty.

“I help train my sister and my niece. Gaming is in our . I’m not sure if there’s been a ‘Jacksons’ or ‘Mannings’ of the gaming world yet – but we might be on our way.”

Selita, from Atlanta, crushes Candy’s while on the treadmill and has finished all the games 21,545 levels – meaning she beat them to qualify for this year’s competition.

Candy Crush has more than 200million players worldwide of which 113million play it every day.

Maybe next year I’ll be in with a chance of $500,000.