August 26, 2025
Some are champions. Some are contenders, eagerly awaiting their next shot. All of them proved that the future of esports is bright.
Hundreds of competitors—both solo players and squads—traveled from around the world to chase glory at the 2025 Esports World Cup in Riyadh. Some succeeded, lifting trophies and walking away hundreds of thousands of dollars richer. Others fell short, but they’ll return hungrier than ever.
Here are six rising stars from EWC 25 you’ll be hearing from again.
FiveFears’ David Takes Down Two Goliaths
The Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 bracket was filled with giants. Most teams came from the official franchised league, but that didn’t stop Charlie “Hicksy” Hicks and his squad FiveFears from shaking things up. Playing outside the system, they shocked the world by taking down both Cloud9 and G2 in group play—cementing themselves as a dangerous underdog.
An 11th-Place MVP
Battle royale esports demand consistency across dozens of matches, with RNG always looming. ROC Esport’s Gabriel “sxntastico” Silva didn’t finish on the podium in PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS—yet his individual brilliance still earned him EWC 25 MVP honors. A rare case where 11th place felt like first.
A Silver Medal After Barely Two Months Together
The Gaimin Gladiators entered the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women’s Invitational with barely two months of preparation. A mix of American, Malaysian, and Filipino talent, the squad united just in May 2025. Despite the short runway, their natural chemistry carried them to the grand final against Team Vitality, where they walked away with silver—and worldwide respect.
The First Burmese EWC Champions
The Yangon Galacticos made history at the PUBG MOBILE World Cup. Long a dominant force in Myanmar, they had struggled on the international stage—until now. Led by Khant “Romeo” Hein, the Galacticos clawed back from the brink after barely surviving the elimination stage, then powered through to claim gold. Myanmar’s first-ever EWC champions are now on the global map.
A Podium Finish for a Rising Mexican Star
Luis Guadalupe “DarkAngel” Castillo Gomez has only been competing in The King of Fighters XV since 2023, but at EWC 25 he proved he belongs among the elite. Competing in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, he pushed legend Zeng “Xiaohai” Zhuojun to the limit in the semifinals before securing a third-place finish against Hiroaki “mok” Hashizume. Mexico has a new face to watch in the FGC.
A Chilean Prodigy in the Making
At just 15, Derek Blaz is one of the youngest competitors to make a splash in Street Fighter 6. After reaching the grand finals of Capcom Cup 11 earlier this year, he repeated the feat in Riyadh—taking down titans like Goichi “GO1” Kishida and Hiromiki “Itabashi Zangief” Kumada along the way. He fell just short to Xiaohai in a razor-thin 5–4 final, but Blaz showed he’s already a legend in the making.
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