Six Must-Watch Players in Week 7 of EWC 25
Aug 20, 2025.
We’ve arrived at the final week of the 2025 Esports World Cup. From incredible upsets to two-peat championship victories throughout the event in Riyadh, the action has been adrenaline-filled and the final week shows no signs of slowing down. Here are six players you do not want to miss out on in the final week.
Wang “N9” Hao, BaiSha Gaming - CROSSFIRE at EWC 25
As an active player on BaiSha Gaming's roster since December 2020, N9 led his team to qualify for the EWC 25 stage as the Asian Champions League winners. He’s proven himself over and over again, as he has claimed a total of ten major tournament victories with three different teams, four of those wins coming under BaiSha Gaming. It’s safe to say that when it comes to CROSSFIRE, N9 is one of the best to ever do it. He’s had a very successful year so far in 2025.
Zhang “ZY” Ye, AG.AL - CROSSFIRE at EWC 25
It’s rare to see a professional player stay with one organization for years. As an active player on AG.AL’s roster since 2017, ZY found the most success from 2021 to 2023, when he captured three tournament victories. With ZY leading his team to a top-four finish at ASL 2025, he makes his debut appearance on the CROSSFIRE stage at EWC 25 as the second-ranked team in the CROSSFIRE Pro League.
Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut, Team Vitality - Counter-Strike 2 at EWC 25
Ever since his breakthrough debut in 2018, ZywOo has built a career that only the elite few could hope to achieve. Widely considered one of the best Counter-Strike 2 players in the world, he was ranked the best player in the Half-Life Television (HLTV) rankings in 2019, 2020, and 2023, with top-three rankings in 2021, 2022, and 2024. Additionally, he’s a two-time BLAST.tv Major champion, an ESL Grand Slam champion, and has won a grand total of 27 HLTV MVP awards, a feat no one else has achieved thus far.
ZywOo has had a phenomenal run in 2025 so far, with seven major tournament victories under his belt. He looks to capture the Counter-Strike 2 at EWC 25 championship gold after getting knocked out in the quarterfinals by Virtus.pro in 2024.
Wang “Mercury” Jingxiang, TYLOO - Counter-Strike 2 at EWC 25
Mercury is the captain of TYLOO, a Chinese organization regarded as the trailblazer of the Chinese Counter-Strike scene. What’s interesting about Mercury and TYLOO is that his team is the only one to have qualified through the Asian Champions League, where they took down Lynn Vision Gaming 2-0 and earned their spot in Counter-Strike 2 at EWC 25.
This year will be his first appearance in Riyadh, as he failed to qualify last year when he placed third in the Esports World Cup 2024: Asian Qualifier. While Mercury has led his team to two minor tournament victories in 2025, he has yet to capture his first major tournament win in his career.
Saul Leonardo “MenaRD” Mena II, Weibo Gaming - Street Fighter 6 at EWC 25
It’s safe to say that when it comes to Street Fighter, MenaRD is one of the best to ever do it. His breakthrough career achievement in Street Fighter 6 began when he claimed his first championship win at CEO 2023, taking victories over his fellow 2025 Esports World Cup competitors Alan “Nephew” Sun and Victor “Punk” Woodley. Since then, he’s become a three-time EVO champion and a two-time Capcom Cup champion. His victories at EVO Japan 2025 and EVO 2025 also made him the first player to win EVO Japan and EVO in the same competitive Street Fighter season.
However, his group in SF6 at EWC 25 is widely considered one of two groups of death, as it contains two Japanese legends, Yusuke Momochi and Masaki Kawano, as well as the LCQ star player Michael “Riddles” Kim. He’s already breezed through his competition in the first phase; just how far he will take his run in Riyadh remains to be seen.
Victor “Punk” Woodley, FlyQuest - SF6 at EWC 25
Punk is recognized as one of the most decorated Street Fighter players in the recent history of the franchise. From various Capcom Pro Tour premier championship wins to winning EVO 2024, his victories have solidified him as a tournament favorite here in Riyadh. His championship win at EVO in particular is worth noting, as he became the first American player in 22 years to win EVO with Street Fighter featured as one of the main games in the tournament.
His group, however, is considered one of two groups of death, as it consists of defending champion Zeng “Xiaohai” Zhuojun and Capcom Cup 2025 winner Kakeru Watanabe.
With dozens of matches taking place over the next week, new legends will rise as winners are crowned and rivals are toppled. Watch the Esports World Cup live or check out the ticket options to watch the games in person!
