2025 Esports World Cup – Valorant

Valorant at the
2025 Esports World Cup
Tournament information
GameValorant
LocationRiyadh, Saudi Arabia
DateJuly 8–13, 2025
AdministratorEsports World Cup Foundation
Supervised by ESL and sanctioned by Riot Games
Tournament
format(s)
16 team GSL-style group stage
8 team single-elimination bracket
Teams16
PurseUS$1,250,000
Final positions
ChampionsTeam Heretics
Runner-upFnatic
MVPMert "Wo0t" Alkan
(Team Heretics)

The first-person tactical hero shooter video game Valorant had a tournament at the 2025 Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 8 to 13, 2025. Sixteen teams took part in this tournament – two each from Stage 1 of the Valorant Champions Tour in the Americas, China, EMEA, and the Pacific, as well as two each from qualification events in the same regions. Teams qualified based on their performance in these tournaments.

It was the first Valorant tournament at the Esports World Cup, which is part of a three-year partnership between game developer Riot Games and the Esports World Cup Foundation until 2027 to bring Valorant, League of Legends, and Teamfight Tactics into the event.[1]

Team Heretics won the tournament after beating Fnatic in the final, 3–2, in a reverse sweep after being down two maps.

Format

In the group stage, the sixteen (16) teams were divided into four groups and competed in a GSL-style double elimination bracket, with the first two teams to achieve two wins advancing to the quarterfinals. The opening matches were best-of-ones but the remaining matches were best-of-threes

The playoffs were an eight-team single-elimination bracket. The teams that lost in the semifinals will compete in a third-place match.[2] All matches in the playoffs were best-of-threes but the final was a best-of-five.

Qualification

Teams qualified through their placements in Stage 1 of the Valorant Champions Tour in the Americas, China, EMEA, and the Pacific, two each from Americas, EMEA, and Pacific qualifiers, and two from Act 2 of the China Evolution Series.

Qualified teams

(*) Non-partner teams in franchise system

Region Stage 2 Winner Stage 2 Runners-up
Americas G2 Esports* Sentinels
China XLG Esports* Bilibili Gaming
EMEA Fnatic Team Heretics
Pacific Rex Regum Qeon Gen.G
Event Winner Runners-up
Americas Qualifier NRG Esports 100 Thieves
China Evolution Series Edward Gaming Titan Esports Club
EMEA Qualifier BBL Esports Karmine Corp
Pacific Qualifier Paper Rex DRX

Draw

A draw was conducted for the group stage on 25 June 2025.[3] In each group, one team in each region was placed.

Group A Group B Group C Group D
G2 Esports XLG Esports Rex Regum Qeon Fnatic
Bilibili Gaming Sentinels Team Heretics Gen.G
Paper Rex BBL Esports NRG Esports Edward Gaming
Karmine Corp DRX Titan Esports Club 100 Thieves

Group stage

  • Dates: 8–10 July 2025
  • Sixteen teams were drawn into four groups of four teams each. Teams from the same region cannot be placed in the same group.
  • Double elimination; opening matches are best-of-one; all other matches best-of-three.
  • The eight teams consisting of the winners and runners-up of each group advance to the Playoff Stage. Remaining teams are eliminated.

Group A

Opening MatchWinners MatchPlayoffs Qualified
8 July, 12:00 AST
Paper Rex1
8 July, 16:00 AST
Bilibili Gaming0
Paper Rex2
8 July, 12:00 ASTPaper Rex
Karmine Corp0
G2 Esports0
Karmine Corp1
Elimination MatchDecider Match
10 July, 12:00 AST
9 July, 12:00 ASTKarmine Corp2
Karmine Corp
G2 Esports1Bilibili Gaming1
Bilibili Gaming2
Opening Match 8 July Paper Rex 1 – 0 Bilibili Gaming Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
12:00 (UTC+3)      
16 Lotus 14
Opening Match 8 July G2 Esports 0 – 1 Karmine Corp Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
12:00 (UTC+3)      
6 Sunset 13
Winners' Match 8 July Paper Rex 2 – 0 Karmine Corp Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
16:00 (UTC+3)      
13 Lotus 10
13 Icebox 5
Sunset
Elimination Match 9 July G2 Esports 1 – 2 Bilibili Gaming Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
12:00 (UTC+3)      
3 Sunset 13
13 Pearl 4
11 Icebox 13
Decider Match 10 July Karmine Corp 2 – 1 Bilibili Gaming Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
12:00 (UTC+3)      
13 Icebox 5
11 Lotus 13
13 Sunset 9

Group B

Opening MatchWinners MatchPlayoffs Qualified
8 July, 13:00 AST
Sentinels0
8 July, 16:00 AST
BBL Esports1
BBL Esports2
8 July, 13:00 ASTBBL Esports
DRX0
DRX1
XLG Esports0
Elimination MatchDecider Match
10 July, 12:00 AST
9 July, 12:00 ASTDRX0
Sentinels
Sentinels2Sentinels2
XLG Esports1
Opening Match 8 July Sentinels 0 – 1 BBL Esports Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
13:00 (UTC+3)      
12 Icebox 14
Opening Match 8 July DRX 1 – 0 XLG Esports Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
13:00 (UTC+3)      
13 Haven 6
Winners' Match 8 July BBL Esports 2 – 0 DRX Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
16:00 (UTC+3)      
12 Sunset 14
6 Ascent 13
Haven
Elimination Match 9 July Sentinels 2 – 1 XLG Esports Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
12:00 (UTC+3)      
9 Lotus 13
13 Sunset 8
9 Haven 13
Decider Match 10 July DRX 0 – 2 Sentinels Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
12:00 (UTC+3)      
7 Lotus 13
4 Sunset 13
Haven

Group C

Opening MatchWinners MatchPlayoffs Qualified
8 July, 14:00 AST
NRG Esports1
8 July, 19:15 AST
Team Heretics0
NRG Esports2
8 July, 14:00 ASTNRG Esports
Rex Regum Qeon0
Rex Regum Qeon1
Titan Esports Club0
Elimination MatchDecider Match
10 July, 15:05 AST
9 July, 15:15 ASTRex Regum Qeon0
Team Heretics
Team Heretics2Team Heretics2
Titan Esports Club1
Opening Match 8 July NRG Esports 1 – 0 Team Heretics Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
14:00 (UTC+3)      
13 Lotus 4
Opening Match 8 July Rex Regum Qeon 1 – 0 Titan Esports Club Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
14:00 (UTC+3)      
13 Sunset 6
Winners' Match 8 July NRG Esports 2 – 0 Rex Regum Qeon Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
19:15 (UTC+3)      
13 Split 7
13 Pearl 8
Icebox
Elimination Match 9 July Team Heretics 2 – 1 Titan Esports Club Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
15:15 (UTC+3)      
10 Icebox 13
14 Haven 12
13 Sunset 6
Decider Match 10 July Rex Regum Qeon 0 – 2 Team Heretics Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
15:05 (UTC+3)      
3 Sunset 13
13 Icebox 15
Ascent

Group D

Opening MatchWinners MatchPlayoffs Qualified
8 July, 15:00 AST
Gen.G1
8 July, 19:15 AST
Edward Gaming0
Gen.G0
8 July, 15:00 ASTFnatic
Fnatic2
100 Thieves0
Fnatic1
Elimination MatchDecider Match
10 July, 15:15 AST
9 July, 15:15 ASTGen.G2
Gen.G
100 Thieves1Edward Gaming0
Edward Gaming2
Opening Match 8 July Gen.G 1 – 0 Edward Gaming Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
15:00 (UTC+3)      
13 Icebox 4
Opening Match 8 July 100 Thieves 0 – 1 Fnatic Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
15:00 (UTC+3)      
11 Icebox 13
Winners' Match 8 July Gen.G 0 – 2 Fnatic Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
19:15 (UTC+3)      
13 Ascent 15
7 Icebox 13
Sunset
Elimination Match 9 July 100 Thieves 1 – 2 Edward Gaming Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
15:15 (UTC+3)      
13 Haven 11
7 Sunset 13
10 Ascent 13
Decider Match 10 July Gen.G 2 – 0 Edward Gaming Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
15:15 (UTC+3)      
13 Lotus 8
13 Haven 4
Icebox

Playoffs

  • Dates: 11–13 July 2025
  • Eight teams were drawn into matchups based on a draw
  • Single elimination; matches in quarterfinals and semifinals are best-of-three series.
  • Grand Final will be best-of-five
QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal
11 July, 12:00 AST
Sentinels0
12 July, 12:00 AST
Paper Rex2
Paper Rex1
11 July, 12:00 AST
Fnatic2
Karmine Corp0
13 July, 13:30 AST
Fnatic2
Fnatic2
11 July, 14:30 AST
Team Heretics3
NRG Esports0
12 July, 15:40 AST
Gen.G2
Gen.G1
11 July, 15:15 AST
Team Heretics213 July, 12:00 AST
BBL Esports0
Team Heretics2
Quarterfinals 11 July Sentinels 0 – 2 Paper Rex Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
12:00 (UTC+3)      
3 Icebox 13
9 Sunset 13
Lotus
Quarterfinals 11 July Karmine Corp 0 – 2 Fnatic Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
12:00 (UTC+3)      
12 Sunset 14
7 Ascent 13
Icebox
Quarterfinals 11 July NRG Esports 0 – 2 Gen.G Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
14:30 (UTC+3)      
5 Sunset 13
10 Icebox 13
Lotus
Quarterfinals 11 July BBL Esports 0 – 2 Team Heretics Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
15:15 (UTC+3)      
3 Ascent 13
5 Haven 13
Icebox
Semifinals 11 July Paper Rex 1 – 2 Fnatic Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
12:00 (UTC+3)      
13 Sunset 10
3 Ascent 13
8 Split 13
Semifinals 12 July Gen.G 1 – 2 Team Heretics Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
15:40 (UTC+3)      
7 Ascent 13
13 Haven 8
14 Lotus 16
Third Place Playoff 13 July Paper Rex 0 – 2 Gen.G Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
12:00 (UTC+3)      
10 Sunset 13
8 Ascent 13
Lotus
Grand Final 13 July Fnatic 2 – 3 Team Heretics Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  
13:30 (UTC+3)      
13 Lotus 4
13 Sunset 1
11 Icebox 13
10 Haven 13
10 Ascent 13

Ranking

A base prize pool of US$1,250,000 was offered for the tournament. The prize pool is spread among the teams as seen below:

Place Team Prize (USD)
1st Team Heretics $500,000
2nd Fnatic $230,000
3rd Gen.G $130,000
4th Paper Rex $70,000
5th–8th Sentinels $40,000
Karmine Corp
NRG Esports
BBL Esports
9th–12th Bilibili Gaming $25,000
DRX
Rex Regum Qeon
Edward Gaming
13th–16th G2 Esports $15,000
XLG Esports
Titan Esports Club
100 Thieves

Esports World Cup official website

References

  1. ^ Fudge, James (February 10, 2025). "Riot Games Signs Three-Year Deal with the Esports World Cup Foundation". The Esports Advocate. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
  2. ^ Phalip, Corentin (July 7, 2025). "VALORANT: Everything You Need to Know About the Esports World Cup". Sheep Esports. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
  3. ^ Jones, Lee (June 28, 2025). "EWC VALORANT 2025 Group Draw: the Winners and Losers". Hotspawn. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
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