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真人CS - Real Life Counter Strike

If you ask a young person in China what they're doing after class, they might tell you they're going to 吃鸡 or "eat chicken" - contrary to what you might be thinking, this actually means they're going to be playing video games, such as Crossfire or PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), which are huge among Chinese gamers.

Counter Strike (CS) was one of the first shooting games to get a foothold here and, around the same time, real life shooting games such as paintball, BB shooting or laser quest also became popular. The Chinese call these physical games 真人CS or "Real Person CS". Played in small arenas, often in underground spaces such as disused car parks, the experience is like being part of a real life video game.


After visiting last month, we knew that this had to become a regular event for Liuzhou Meet & Learn. This time, we took three teams of six players. The format is simple: like a squad based Battle Royale video game (the Chinese call this 大逃杀 or "avoid getting killed"), if everyone on your team is shot, you lose. Games are fast and furious, often only lasting three or four minutes.

Check out our footage and photos from this month's event...







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