Esports World Cup 2025 Week 4 Recap: Chess, MLBB, PUBG Mobile, and Overwatch 2
- Sagar Mankar
- Aug 4
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 6
Week 4 of the Esports World Cup 2025 concluded on August 3 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, spotlighting a wide array of competitive titles that each brought their own flavor of drama, upsets, and unforgettable moments.
From traditional chess reimagined for the esports stage to mobile MOBAs and tactical FPS showdowns, the fourth week delivered both history-making performances and rising narratives. Here’s a full breakdown of the major tournament results and top performers from this action-packed week.
All Results from EWC 2025 Week 4:
In a historic first for the Esports World Cup, chess took center stage — not just as a niche showcase but as a full-fledged competition, rebranded with an esports twist. Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, now 34, claimed the top prize and a $250,000 payout, adding yet another feather to his already-decorated cap. His victory over world No. 8 Alireza Firouzja in the finals brought high-level classical gameplay to an entirely new generation of fans.
The top-four prize distribution looked like this:
1st: Magnus Carlsen – $250,000
2nd: Alireza Firouzja – $190,000
3rd: Hikaru Nakamura – $145,000
4th: Arjun Erigaisi – $115,000
In total, $1.5 million was awarded across all 16 participants. According to ChessWatchCom, the final match peaked at over 254,000 viewers, marking one of the highest-ever viewerships for a chess event in 2025.
Carlsen praised the experience, calling it “an amazing show” and expressing hopes that chess will earn a bigger esports spotlight in future editions.
Shifting from strategy to mobile action, Team Liquid Philippines claimed the MLBB Mid-Season Cup 2025 (MSC) title in dominant fashion, defeating SRG.OG (Malaysia) 4-1 in the grand final on August 2.
The victory marked the Philippines’ first MSC championship since 2022 and completed Team Liquid's collection of all major MLBB trophies, including the M-Series and MPL titles.
The grand finals began with a rough start for Team Liquid, losing Game 1 to a surprising Grock-led strategy by SRG.OG. However, the Filipinos bounced back quickly — led by Kiel "Oheb" Soriano, who notched back-to-back MVP performances on Harith and Moskov, turning the tide in their favor. By Game 4, the momentum had fully shifted, and a rapid 10-minute victory set the stage for a championship-clinching Game 5. Even after Oheb’s fall in a crucial mid-fight, Jaypee and KarlTzy held strong to close out the series 4-1.
Here’s how the top eight teams placed:
1st: Team Liquid PH – $1,000,000, 1,000 Club Points
2nd: SRG.OG – $500,000, 750 Club Points
3rd: ONIC Philippines – $250,000, 500 Club Points
4th: ONIC – $150,000, 300 Club Points
5th–8th: Aurora Türkiye, Mythic SEAL, RRQ Hoshi, Team Spirit – $100,000 each, 200 Club Points each
According to Esports Charts, MSC 2025 was the most-watched EWC event so far this year. The quarterfinal between RRQ and SRG peaked at over 3 million viewers, while the grand final drew a peak of 2.2 million, both setting EWC 2025 records.
The underdog story of the week — and arguably the entire World Cup — belonged to Yangon Galacticos from Myanmar. After barely qualifying through the Survival Stage (finishing 8th out of 16, edging out INFLUENCE RAGE by a single point), they made an improbable run to the PMWC 2025 title.
The squad — Smile, Marnett, Romeo, and SAYCLOUD — went on a tear during the Grand Finals, winning four Winner Winner Chicken Dinners (WWCDs) across the 18-match finale. They ended Day 1 with 67 points and maintained their lead, ultimately triggering the Smash Rule on Day 3. Yangon Galacticos delivered — and made history for Myanmar in the process.
Final Placements and Prize Money:
1st: Yangon Galacticos – $547,000
2nd: Weibo Gaming – $323,500
3rd: Alpha Gaming – $222,000
4th: DRX – $195,000
5th: Regnum Carya Esports – $153,000
6th: Nongshim RedForce – $140,000
7th: 4thrives Esports – $157,000
8th: Alter Ego Ares – $150,000
Final's MVP: DOK (Alpha Gaming, Mongolia) – $50,000
As per Esports Charts, the event pulled a peak viewership of 1.38 million, with an average of nearly 450,000.
Finally, in Overwatch 2, it was a story of redemption and dominance as Team Falcons swept Al Qadsiah 4-0 in the OWCS 2025 Midseason Championship finals. The Saudi-based squad, which only qualified through the Last Chance Qualifier, stunned everyone with a clean and calculated march through the bracket.
Led by MVP Kim "Proper" Dong-hyun, and supported by SOMEONE, MER1T, and coach SP9RK1E, the team showcased elite-level synergy, especially in clutch moments.
Prize Breakdown and Club Points:
1st: Team Falcons – $400,000, 1,000 Club Points
2nd: Al Qadsiah – $180,000, 750 Club Points
3rd: Twisted Minds – $100,000, 500 Club Points
4th: T1 – $60,000, 300 Club Points
Special Awards:
Jafonso Award – $50,000 (Team Falcons)
Sony Tournament MVP – $10,000 (Proper, South Korea, Team Falcons)
Esports Charts data shows that the OWCS finals reached a peak of 177,094 viewers, with 3.76 million total hours watched across 35 hours.
Looking Ahead: Week 5 Preview
The action isn’t slowing down. Week 5 is already set with more high-stakes tournaments:
August 4–8: Rainbow 6 Siege X
August 5–8: Call of Duty: Warzone
August 6–8: FC Pro World Championship
As the Esports World Cup 2025 enters its second month, fans can expect more upsets, thrilling moments, and standout individual performances.
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