Latest news with #Icebox
San Francisco Chronicle
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bay Area resident wins $250,000 for playing ‘Candy Crush'
A Bay Area resident's mobile gaming skills paid off big time, earning the gamer a $250,000 prize as the runner-up in the 2025 Candy Crush All Stars tournament. Ingrid Rosales, 31, of Antioch placed second in the fifth annual competition, which concluded in June and drew 'Candy Crush Saga' players from across the world for weeks of intense online competition. A player from Portugal, identified as Tiago P., won the first place prize of $500,000 and a diamond encrusted ring from the Atlanta-based jewelry company Icebox. 'It started as something I enjoyed doing in my spare time,' Rosales told the Chronicle, noting that she began playing 'Candy Crush Saga' on her computer when it was released in 2012 by interactive entertainment company King. 'Now, I know I am in the top 10 players in the world. Well, that just feels very special.' The free-to-play online game requires players to match similar candy tiles in groups of three in the least amount of moves as they progress through levels and complete challenges. To qualify as one of the game's top 10 players and secure a coveted spot in the tournament's live final, players had to collect as many All Stars purple candies as possible while they moved through each stage of the game. In-game rounds of the tournament began on March 20, and more than 15 million 'Candy Crush Saga' gamers, nicknamed Crushers, competed for a spot in the live final, which took place from June 11-13 in Los Angeles and was hosted by Katie Linendoll of 'Today.' 'The competition itself has introduced me to so many new people, and I feel like I am part of a community, which feels very special,' Rosales said, adding that she's still thinking about how to spend her winnings. 'When I started playing 'Candy Crush Saga,' I honestly didn't think I would end up taking part in a tournament with millions of other people across the world.'
GMA Network
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Will Ashley, Bianca De Vera lip-sync 'Ikaw, Ikaw, Ikaw,' a song inspired by WillCa, on TikTok
Will Ashley and Bianca De Vera just did a TikTok video using "Ikaw, Ikaw, Ikaw," a song written by Eliza Maturan with their WillCa ship in mind! Posted by Michael Sager on his account, the video first showed Michael with his duo Emilio Daez. They stepped aside to reveal Will, who also stepped aside to reveal Bianca behind him. They were all lip-syncing to the song, and before the video ended, MiLi adorably gushed with playful and teasing kilig faces. "Ayan na nga," Michael wrote in the caption with a cheeky emoji. A collaboration between Eliza and Singaporean artist Icebox, "Ikaw, Ikaw, Ikaw" is an acoustic song about about wanting to go back to a relationship, but realizing that it could be too late. Will and Bianca have unresolved tension from their past, which they both confessed to Kuya while they were inside the "Pinoy Big Brother" house. The two also had a heart-to-heart talk, where Will told Bianca, "I want to let you know na na-appreciate kita and the bond that we have two years ago, hindi naman nababalik 'yun pero we can start a new friendship. I don't know kung ano kalalabasan niya but we'll get there." Will and Bianca starred in the GMA Network and ABS-CBN's collaboration series, "Unbreak My Heart" in 2023, where their characters had a relationship. Another song often dedicated by fans to WillCa and used in social media edits is "Multo" by Cup of Joe. —Carby Rose Basina/MGP, GMA Integrated News
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Sweetest Showdown: Candy Crush Saga Crowns Its 2025 All Stars Champion With A Dazzling Diamond Ring from Icebox and $500,000
Candy Crush crowned its 2025 All Stars Champion, Tiago P. from Portugal at the epic live final in Los Angeles, awarding a share of the $1M prize pool and a custom Icebox championship ring Over 15 million players competed globally, as the finalists faced off in a high-stakes showdown to claim the coveted Candy Crush All Stars title Ten finalists from across the U.S. and beyond participated in the Live Final, including a father of 10 who plans to donate his winnings to charity and a first-time competitor, who trained everyday to master their gameplay strategy NEW YORK, June 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- After five weeks of high-stakes competition in one of the most epic tournaments in casual mobile gaming, Candy Crush Saga® has crowned its Candy Crush All Stars™ 2025 champion of the Live Final in Los Angeles. The Live Final was officially hosted by TV Personality and Tech Expert from The TODAY Show, Katie Linendoll, who led the 10 finalists into a head-to-head battle for their chance to clinch the coveted title. What started as a quiet evening routine after work turned into a half a million dollar victory for Tiago P. from Portugal, now officially the 2025 Candy Crush All Stars Champion. After five weeks of global competition and more than 15 million hopeful players competing in the in-game tournament, Tiago was invited to participate at the in-person Live Final and clinched the ultimate title in a heart racing round. Tiago walked away from the Live Final with $500,000 and a custom diamond encrusted championship ring from Icebox. "From day one, I approached the tournament like a mission," said Tiago. " Setting clear gameplay goals and pushing past them, one level at a time, is what got me here. My family was amazing, this win belongs to all of us. The Candy Crush community, the thrill of competition, and the support I've felt, it's been one of the most unforgettable journeys of my life." As for our other finalists, one of the closest competitors was second place runner-up, Ingrid R. from California, U.S. A player who approached the game with strategic precision, Ingrid described her tactic as "building the strongest game board possible" and sticking to a routine that helped her stay calm. She secured second place and a $250,000 prize. And rounding out the top three was Aalja B. from Atlanta, US, who balanced play with family life. "I've been playing for years to unwind," she said. "But when the tournament came around, I saw a chance to go all in. I'd never done something like this before and now I get to go home with $100,000." The 10 finalists represent the heart of the Candy Crush community spanning three decades in age, five different countries and a range of life experiences. From 26-year-old roofing entrepreneur Hayden S. from Texas, who called "everyone I knew" when he secured his place in the final, to 59-year-old Ken N. who is a Florida-based father of 10 who is a returning finalist and donates a portion of his winnings to a charity foundation which is personally close to him and his family. Now in its fifth year, the free to enter Candy Crush All Stars in-game tournament began on March 20, 2025, with over 15 million Crushers competing through multiple rounds for more than just bragging rights. To win an invite to the Live Final, players needed to move through each stage collecting as many All Stars purple Candies as possible, resulting in 11.4 Trillion Candies collected and 2.2 Billion levels played. "This year's tournament was our boldest yet, and we continue to be inspired by the passion and dedication from the Candy Crush community," said Luken Aragon, VP of Marketing for Candy Crush Saga at King. "Whether you're from a small town in Portugal or anywhere else in the world, if you love the game and you have the determination, you can win. That is the magic of Candy Crush Saga." Candy Crush Saga is free to download and play on iOS and Android. For more info on the game and upcoming tournaments, visit: © 2024 Ltd. "King", "Candy Crush", "Candy Crush All Stars" and associated marks and logos are trademarks of Ltd or related entities. For further information, images, or to arrange an interview, please contact:Candy Crush Saga – candycrush@ About Candy Crush Saga Candy Crush Saga® is one of the world's most popular mobile games. Millions of players around the globe match colorful candies in combinations of three or more to win points, defeat obstacles and progress through more than 18,000 levels. In November 2022, Candy Crush Saga celebrated its 10-year anniversary. Candy Crush Saga is available to download for free from the Apple App Store, Google Play, Amazon App store, Windows App Store and Facebook. About King With a mission of Making the World Playful, King is a leading interactive entertainment company for the mobile world with more than 20 years of history of delivering some of the world's most iconic games in the mobile gaming industry, including the world-famous Candy Crush franchise, as well as other mobile titles such as Farm Heroes Saga. King games are played by more than 200 million monthly active users. King, part of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), has Kingsters in Stockholm, Malmö, London, Barcelona, Berlin, Dublin, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and Malta. More information can be found at or by following us on LinkedIn, @lifeatking on Instagram, or @king_games on X. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Candy Crush Saga Sign in to access your portfolio
