Team Falcons Battles Through The Last Chance Qualifier To Lift The OWCS Midseason Championship Trophy At The Esports World Cup

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (August 3, 2025) Team Falcons has claimed the OWCS Midseason Championship trophy at 2025 Esports World Cup, and in turn has become the first ever team to win the Jafonso award after qualifying to the tournament through the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ)

Named after João "jafonso" Vasconcelos, who, in 2024, was the first, and until now only, player to win an EWC tournament after qualifying through the last chance qualifiers, the award celebrates teams who arrive in Riyadh with no guaranteed place in the competition and go on to win the entire event.

The Korean roster of Team Falcons arrived in the organisation’s home city having just missed out on qualifying to the main event in both the Champions Clash and the OWCS Korea Stage 2. Forced to enter the LCQ, Falcons were a favourite to make it to the main event given they are the reigning OWCS world champions, but with other major names such as ZETA DIVISION and Cold Metal in the mix it was not a guarantee. However, Falcons would eventually win the LCQ in convincing fashion, and secure a place in the main event.

From there, Falcons eased through their group before taking down Geekay Esports and T1 in the playoffs to reach the final. There they faced off against fellow MENA organisation Al Qadsiah, but made things look easy with a swift 4-0 victory to give them the OWCS Midseason Championship title.

“Before this tournament, I had to remind myself I will bring this team back to the top,” said Kim "Proper" Dong-hyun, who earned the SONY MVP award for his performance throughout the event. “I think I proved myself. I am really grateful for it.”

Team Falcons earns 1000 Club Championship points for their victory, which moves them back into first place in the Club Championship with 3500 points. As they have now won a trophy at the 2025 Esports World Cup, they are finally eligible to win the Club Championship should they top the table at the end of the event. As the defending Club Championship winners, finally getting a win under their belt and becoming eligible for the Championship trophy will be a big weight off the shoulders of everyone at Falcons HQ.

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