Riyadh: The third week of this year's Esports World Cup concluded in Riyadh amid an electrifying atmosphere of intense competition and world-class fan experiences. The event continues to attract enthusiastic gaming audiences from both inside the Kingdom and around the world.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the world's largest esports tournament saw new champions crowned in several titles, with no repeat winners across the 11 tournaments held so far, highlighting the fierce competitiveness of the event.
Finnish player Joona Sotala, known as 'Serral,' claimed the StarCraft II title after defeating Korean player Kim Doh-woo, 'Classic,' 5-2 in the final. It marked Serral's third world title, cementing his place among the game's all-time greats after an impressive run that saw him drop only two maps throughout the competition.
In the Honor of Kings tournament, AG.AL secured a dramatic victory over TT Global, coming from behind 1-3 to win 4-3 and take home a $750,000 prize. AG.AL player Xu Biqing, 'YiNuo,' made history by winning his second title in the tournament. At the same time, NOVA Esports set a record for the fastest match ever, finishing their game against Twisted Minds in just six minutes and 23 seconds.
OpTic Gaming captured the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 title with a dominant 4-0 win over Vancouver Surge in the final, earning 1,000 club points. Team star Anthony Cuevas-Castro, 'Shotzzy,' was named most valuable player (MVP) of the tournament and awarded a $10,000 bonus.
The group stage of PUBG Mobile wrapped up with eight teams advancing directly to the finals, including DRX, Weibo Gaming, and Team Secret. Teams like Alpha7 Esports and Team Falcons will face critical matches in the qualifiers to secure the remaining spots, with Alpha7 aiming to defend their title for a second consecutive year.
In chess, four grandmasters advanced to the main event, which features a $1.5 million prize pool. Among the qualifiers were India's Nihal Sarin, Uzbekistan's Javokhir Sindarov, Armenia's Levon Aronian, and the Netherlands' Anish Giri. They join top-ranked players, including world number one Magnus Carlsen.
The men's division of the 'Mobile Legends: Bang Bang' saw its final eight teams locked in, with ONIC ID, ONIC PH, Selangor Red Giants, and Aurora Gaming securing spots in the quarterfinals. They will compete for a share of the $3 million prize pool, which will be distributed during the fourth week.
In the Club Championship standings, Team Vitality maintained its lead at the end of week three, followed closely by AG.AL and Gen.G Esports. Defending 2024 champions Team Falcons currently hold fourth place, with all clubs still in contention amid a wide distribution of points and victories.
The Esports World Cup continues until August 24 in an atmosphere that celebrates excellence, passion, and competition, reinforcing Riyadh's status as a global hub for gaming and esports.
Week four will feature highly anticipated tournaments in PUBG Mobile, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang MSC (Men's Division), Overwatch 2, and chess, which joins the global event for the first time.