The 2025 Esports World Cup has been full of big moments across different games, but one of the standout stories came from CROSSFIRE, which made its debut at the event in Riyadh. After five days of intense FPS action, China’s AG.AL rose above the rest to claim the very first CROSSFIRE trophy on the EWC stage, and their second overall title at this year’s tournament.

The one team that Rose Above the rest 🏆@AGGlobalEsports are your CROSSFIRE at EWC 25 Champions! pic.twitter.com/yPXWsStiBZ

— EWC Extra (@EWC_Extra) August 23, 2025

The favourites deliver

Coming into the competition, AG.AL were already tipped as favourites. They cruised through the group stage, sweeping Virtus.pro 2-0 before edging out Stallions 2-1 to lock in their playoff spot. Things got shaky in the quarterfinals against fellow Chinese side KINGZERO-eSports, who opened with a crushing 10-1 win. Just when it looked like AG.AL’s run might be cut short, Zhang “ZY” Ye rallied the team, flipping the script and sealing a 2-1 comeback with a 10-1 map of their own.

From there, momentum was firmly in their hands. AG.AL took down Evolution Power 2-0 in the semis, while Baisha Gaming knocked out the young Filipino squad Stallions, setting up a blockbuster all-Chinese grand final.

A historic rivalry on the world stage

Fans couldn’t have asked for a better final: AG.AL versus Baisha Gaming, two long-time rivals in the Chinese CROSSFIRE scene. Baisha struck first in dominant fashion with a 10-1 win, but AG.AL kept their cool. They hit back with back-to-back 10-4 victories to reach match point. Baisha clawed it back to force a decider, but AG.AL sealed the deal 10-3 on Port to lift the trophy.

What a dominant run through this tournament!

Congratulations @AGGlobalEsports on your CROSSFIRE at EWC 25 pic.twitter.com/czFkj0NWvm

— EWC Extra (@EWC_Extra) August 23, 2025

It was another reminder of just how deep CROSSFIRE talent runs in China, as all three podium spots ended up going to Chinese teams. Evolution Power fought off Stallions in a nail-biting third-place match, pulling off an overtime comeback in the opener before closing the series 2-0.

Doo takes MVP honours

AG.AL’s Meng “Doo” Kun was awarded the SONY MVP for his incredible consistency throughout the tournament. His clutch performances in the final, in particular, earned him the extra $10,000 prize and the MVP trophy.

Image Credit: Esports World Cup

CROSSFIRE makes its mark

This win also adds to AG.AL’s EWC legacy, after their earlier gold in KWC pushed them past Gen.G into sixth place in the overall Club Championship standings. Beyond the results, though, CROSSFIRE’s first appearance at the Esports World Cup felt significant.

Smilegate has been running CROSSFIRE Stars for over a decade, but bringing the game to the EWC spotlight underlined its status as a global esport. With fresh young teams like Stallions showing promise and Chinese squads proving their dominance, the tournament highlighted a generational shift and set the stage for an even bigger future.

There’s even talk that CROSSFIRE could feature in future multi-sport events like the Asian Games, especially given the game’s proven track record in both domestic and international circuits. And with the CFS Grand Final later this year, the EWC debut feels like the perfect lead-in to CROSSFIRE’s next big chapter.

Looking ahead

From a competitive point of view, CROSSFIRE’s debut at the Esports World Cup couldn’t have gone much better. AG.AL stamped their name in history as the first champions, Baisha and Evolution Power kept the Chinese rivalry alive, and Stallions showed the potential of a new generation coming through.

If this event is anything to go by, CROSSFIRE has found a new global stage, and it’s only just getting started.

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