Week 4 Group Stage and Playoffs Recap: Honorable Mentions and Standouts

Highlights include everything from a $20,000 mouse slip to an incredible comeback in the final moments of a battle royale competition. Read on to find out more about the intense action that took place across Week 4.

Chess at EWC 25 Group Stage

A crucial chess misclick

This Rapid format with no increment was going to lead to blunders. That was exactly what happened to Polish grandmaster Jan-Krzysztof Duda, who misclicked one of his opening moves. He resigned shortly after, conceding the match to Nodirbek Abdusattorov. The mistake ended Duda's tournament run, costing him $20,000.

MSC at EWC 25 Knockout Stage

Early sunset for Sunset Lover

Expectations were high for Team Spirit as the Russian squad headed into the knockout stage without dropping a map. ONIC PH's Grant "Kelra" Pillas wasn't planning on letting that streak continue. Kemiran "Sunset Lover" Kochkarov initially led his team to a 1-0 lead, but then things fell apart. A series of clutch plays by Kelra helped ONIC PH win the next three maps in a row, ending Team Spirit's tournament hopes.

OWCS: Midseason Championship at EWC 25 Group Stage
Team Liquid nearly reverse sweeps Crazy Raccoon

An amazing performance from Team Liquid's Elliot "TR33" Chu nearly secured a reverse sweep over Crazy Raccoon in the upper bracket final of the stage. After gaining a 2-0 lead, Crazy Raccoon suddenly found themselves tied 2-2 as Aatlis began. Park "Junbin" Jun-bin helped carry his teammates over the finish line and secure Crazy Raccoon's shaky victory.

PUBG MOBILE World Cup at EWC 25 Survival Stage

Horaa Esports devours chicken in the final match

Nepali squad Horaa Esports found themselves in the middle of the pack as the PUBG MOBILE World Cup at EWC 25 Survival Stage was winding down. Only one match remained and all the team needed to do was earn a handful of points to retain their position within the top eight and move on to the grand final. Instead, Suprim "JiGGL3" Adhikari and teammates turned on the burners. 12 eliminations and a chicken dinner launched Horaa Esports into first place in the survival stage leaderboard, earning the squad an additional $25,000.

FC Pro World Championship Play-Ins at 2025 Esports World Cup

Four players from the play-ins make it to the next stage

The football action began heating up during Week 4 as the Last Chance Qualifiers and play-ins for the FC Pro World Championship at the 2025 Esports World Cup kicked off. More than 500 players, including club owners, top-tier pros, and local talent, made their way to the stc Gaming Hall to give it their all in hopes of qualifying.

In the end, no one from the LCQ made it through the play-ins to reach the main tournament. Four players, including Manuel "ManuBachoore" Bachoore, who placed in last year’s event, fought their way out of the play-ins to compete for the title once more.

With hundreds of matches taking place over the next week, new legends will rise as champions are crowned and rivals are toppled. Watch the Esports World Cup 2025 live or check out the ticket options to watch the games in person!