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.

The post AG.AL Crowned First CROSSFIRE Champions at the 2025 Esports World Cup appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

After four days of high-flying goals, clutch saves, and nonstop intensity, French giants Karmine Corp have won their first-ever Rocket League trophy at the 2025 Esports World Cup. The squad’s run was nothing short of dominant, taking down some of the biggest names in the game on their way to the title.

The undefeated Blue Wall!@KarmineCorp claim gold in Rocket League featured at #EWC2025! pic.twitter.com/2OLDU7xW6f

— EWC Extra (@EWC_Extra) August 17, 2025

Early dominance in groups

Karmine Corp kicked things off with a statement win, sweeping Virtus.pro 3-0 in their opening group stage clash. Their next test came against North American powerhouse NRG, with a playoff spot on the line.

The French side jumped ahead to a 2-0 lead, but NRG weren’t about to roll over. The Americans clawed their way back to force a decisive fifth game. With everything on the line, Karmine Corp kept their composure and sealed a 2-1 win, booking their place in the knockout rounds.

Taking down the favourites

Once in playoffs, KC showed no signs of slowing down. A 4-1 quarterfinal win over Team Secret set the stage for a semifinal battle against home favourites Team Falcons. In front of a loud Saudi crowd, Karmine Corp silenced the arena with a 4-2 series victory.

On the other side of the bracket, Geekay Esports outlasted Team Vitality in a thrilling seven-game marathon, setting up an all-European final.

Finals: French flair

The grand final was one-way traffic early on. Karmine Corp stormed to a 3-0 series lead without conceding a single goal. Geekay showed fight with a 3-1 win in Game 4, but that was as far as their comeback went.

Image Via esportsworldcup.com

KC closed things out in style, securing the series and taking home the $400,000 prize pool, along with 1,000 Club Championship points.

THE WINNING MOMENT, @KarmineCorp YOU ARE EWC CHAMPIONS 🏆 pic.twitter.com/7JBVmpGqdN

— EWC Extra (@EWC_Extra) August 17, 2025

dralii shines as MVP

The SONY MVP Award went to Samy “dralii” Hajji, who put in a standout performance across the tournament. The Moroccan star has now gone back-to-back at EWC, having won the 2024 title with Team BDS. His switch to Karmine Corp couldn’t have gone better, leading his new team to the biggest prize in Rocket League this year.

Image Credit: Esports World Cup

Club Championship impact

This win makes Karmine Corp the 18th different club to grab an Esports World Cup title, slotting them into 11th place on the Club Championship leaderboard. However, with this being their last EWC event of the year, their climb up the standings is done.

Meanwhile, Team Falcons added crucial points with a third-place finish after beating Vitality in one of the most dramatic endings of the tournament. In a bizarre last-second play, Vitality’s ExoTiiK demolished an opponent only to accidentally redirect the ball into his own net, gifting Falcons the win.

Club Championship Ranking as of 18th August | Image via esportsworldcup.com

That victory may prove massive in the race for the overall Club Championship. Falcons now sit on top of the leaderboard with 4,700 points, and with representation in all three remaining events, they’re in prime position to take home the ultimate crown.

The post Karmine Corp Win Rocket League Title at the 2025 Esports World Cup appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Underdogs on Rebirth Island

Rebirth Island was the stage, $250,000 was on the line, and fourteen teams dropped in chasing the same dream. In the end, it was Twisted Minds who stood tall, taking out Call of Duty: Warzone at the Esports World Cup 2025 with a performance that had the hometown crowd buzzing.

Heading into the finals, the smart money was on Team Falcons, last year’s champions, or Virtus.pro, who’d both been running the show in the earlier rounds. But battle royale is never predictable, and Twisted Minds proved exactly why you can never count anyone out.

TWISTED ARE YOUR WARZONE EWC CHAMPIONS 🏆

وأخييييرًا تويستد مايندز أبطال كأس العالم وارزون 🧠🔥🔥#TwistTheGame #EWC2025 pic.twitter.com/Dju2iMDrjQ

— Twisted Minds 🧠 (@TwisMinds) August 9, 2025

A Decisive Final Day

Over ten tense matches in Riyadh, the Saudi Arabian organisation, made up of US stars Aydan “Aydan” Conrad, Riley “zSmit” Smith, and newcomer Benjamin “Almond” Rosendahl, kept themselves in the fight. They chipped away at the leaderboard with high-kill games, always in striking distance, always dangerous.

AYDAN ALMOND AND SMIT ARE YOUR EWC WARZONE CHAMPIONS

ONE OF THE BEST WARZONE FINISHES ALL TIME pic.twitter.com/KO0iqpcyoC

— Jake Lucky (@JakeSucky) August 9, 2025

The turning point came in the very last match. Sitting among five teams on match point, Twisted Minds needed to make a statement. They didn’t just win, they obliterated the lobby, dropping 24 kills and locking in first place to snatch the trophy from the favourites. It was the organisation’s first-ever EWC title, and it couldn’t have been more dramatic.

MVP Honours for zSmit

For zSmit, the victory came with extra silverware. His aggressive, clutch-heavy play across all ten matches earned him the SONY MVP award and an extra $10,000. From early-game picks to last-circle heroics, he was a constant thorn in the side of every team that crossed his sights.

Image Credit: Esports World Cup

Impact on the Club Championship

The win also launches Twisted Minds up the Club Championship standings, where they now sit in fifth place with five events still to come. With momentum on their side, they’ve put the rest of the field on notice—this isn’t a one-off.

What’s Next at EWC 2025

The Esports World Cup now shifts gears into Counter-Strike 2, but for Warzone fans, Twisted Minds’ run will be remembered as one of the most electrifying moments of the tournament so far.

The post Twisted Minds Claim Warzone Champion at EWC 2025 with Stunning Comeback appeared first on Shane the Gamer.