This year, Candy Crush returned to Los Angeles, home of its live finals for the past two years to kick off the All Stars 2026 tournament and rally players everywhere to get in the game. At the official event, former NFL star Marshawn Lynch and sportscaster Erin Andrews stepped into a live broadcast booth, bringing big-game energy to gamers competing onsite while encouraging fans around the world to compete for their own shot at the $1 million prize pool. Lynch leaned in with his trademark competitive intensity, while Andrews delivered sharp, play-by-play commentary as combos stacked and near-misses drew reactions. "For almost as long as I've had phones in hand, Candy Crush has been a staple on my devices," said Erin Andrews. "Especially on busy travel days, Candy Crush helps me exercise my mind as I test my skills and work through challenges (or levels?). Whether I'm stuck in an airport, in a doctor's office waiting room, or relaxing on the couch, I know Candy Crush makes everyday moments like these fun and rewarding."
The pair kept the excitement rolling with real-time analysis, coach-style introductions, and live reactions, reinforcing the tournament's high stakes nature. "Candy Crush is proving you don't need a stadium for a championship," said Lynch. "Anyone with a phone playing Candy Crush has a shot at competing for a cut of the $1 mille prize pool."
Making Play Bigger and More Open
Big competitive moments can often feel out of reach, defined by invite-only tournaments, elite players, and high stakes that raise the bar for entry. Candy Crush All Stars 2026 takes a different approach. Open from the start, the tournament invites players around the world to step in, test their skills, and see how far they can go. The challenge is real, and the competition is fierce, but the opportunity to compete is open to competitors ready to take it on. By widening access, All Stars delivers a high-energy competition grounded in skill, ambition, and the thrill of the climb up the leaderboard.
"The scale of participation continues to grow year after year; last year over 15 million Crushers joined the competition," said Luken Aragon, Vice President of Marketing at Candy Crush. "All Stars was created to give competitive players new ways to play, and today it's become a worldwide event that's just as much about accessibility and fun as it is about skill and strategy."
Candy Crush All Stars invites players starting at Level 5 to compete directly in the app, progressing through qualifiers, knockout rounds, and second-chance opportunities for a shot at the Live Final where the competition moves from screen to stage and players battle for a share of the $1 million pool. New this year, the tournament introduces two major in-game enhancements, including Multiplier Tokens, which deliver a 10x score boost during a timed window. Limited in quantity, each Multiplier token must be used strategically once activated, once it's gone, it's gone, creating high-stakes, momentum-shifting moments that can dramatically impact a player's climb to the top.
Additionally, for the first time ever, LIFE SAVERS® is bringing fruit-flavored fun to the 2026 Second Chance Rounds as the presenting sponsor. The Second Chance Rounds will give the Top 3 players from each leaderboard who narrowly missed advancing, another opportunity to re-enter the competition. Fans at home can join in on the fun by heading to the Mars Snacking TikTok Shop and purchasing the LIFE SAVERS Gummies All Stars bundle, which includes a free exclusive in-game code for 10 gold bars to be used during the Candy Crush All Stars Tournament.
The Soundtrack of Sweet Momentum
Candy Crush believes play is at its best when it's immersive and multi-sensory, and this year, at tournament launch, a 15-track Candy Crush All Stars Soundtrack, composed in-house by King's Sebastian Aav, will debut globally on Spotify. The tracks are a mix of in-game tracks to fuel momentum during competition, with others building toward the Live Final and extending the tournament's energy beyond the app.
Think it's your game? Press play and jump in: Candy Crush All Stars is live on March 5, 2026 through April 8th, 2026 across 25 markets worldwide and open to players 18+. Terms apply.
Candy Crush Saga® is free to download on iOS and Android. The sweetest competition in gaming is officially anyone's game. For more information, visit candycrushsaga.com.
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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 20,000 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 King.com or by following us on LinkedIn, @lifeatking on Instagram, or @king_games on X.
SOURCE Candy Crush Saga
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