Bay Area resident wins $250,000 for playing ‘Candy Crush'
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.'
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