Xiao Hai Wins Esports Controller Player Of The Year

The Esports Awards are one of the biggest annual celebrations in competitive gaming, recognizing the best players, teams, and creators across the entire esports world. It has always been a tough stage for the FGC, a scene that often fights for recognition next to titles with massive developer backing and global viewership.

This year, though, the FGC had several heavy hitters in the mix. The most notable was Zeng "Xiao Hai" Zhuojun, who earned a nomination and win for Esports Controller Player of the Year, an award dedicated to players who compete primarily with a controller, fight stick, wheel, or similar device and have achieved something outstanding in their discipline.

Xiao Hai’s victory marks a milestone. It is the first time an FGC player has ever taken home this award, and he did it in a year where the scene had real representation with ULSAN nominated for Tekken 8 and Go1 recognized for his work in Street Fighter 6 and Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. Before this category existed, the closest equivalent was Console Player of the Year, which SonicFox famously won back in 2018.

Few players had a season like Xiao Hai. He won the Esports World Cup for Street Fighter 6 in both 2024 and 2025 and performed incredibly across multiple titles including Fatal Fury: CotW and The King of Fighters 15, racking up majors and even Evo championships. His consistency across three different fighting games puts him in rare territory.

Blaz also represented the FGC on the nominee list, earning a spot as a finalist for Breakthrough Player of the Year. At only 15 years old, the Chilean prodigy has already finished second at Capcom Cup, Evo France, and the Esports World Cup. He ended up losing the award to Call of Duty rookie Mason "Mercules" Ramsey who, unlike Blaz, has already secured major championship titles this year.

While some frustration remains about Xiao Hai’s omission from The Game Awards’ Esports Player of the Year category, it is good to see him properly recognized here for an incredible season.

Xiao Hai himself seemed genuinely thrilled by the win, posting on social media: “So surprised and happy to win this award from @esportsawards! A huge thank you to my fans for all your support. I also want to thank my club @FalconsEsport and my sponsor @mygamesir. Let's keep working hard and achieve even more together!”

With the trophy in hand, Xiao Hai now turns his focus back to Street Fighter League USA, where his team KuaiShou Gaming currently sits near the bottom of the standings. The league resumes in early December, and fans are eager to see if this award momentum helps Xiao Hai bounce back in league play.