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Team Heretics Reverse Sweep Fnatic to Win Esports World Cup 2025
Kaustavmani Choudhury
13 Jul, 2025, 17:54
|Last updated: 13 Jul, 2025, 18:04
On one of the biggest stages of the year inside Riyadh’s STC Arena, two EMEA titans - Fnatic and Team Heretics - clashed for more than just the $500,000 prize. At stake was pride, legacy, and redemption.
While Fnatic came in as favorites, it was Heretics who stole the spotlight, defying expectations to clinch a dramatic 3-2 series win and claim their first-ever trophy at the inaugural Esports World Cup.
Team Heretics 3-2 Fnatic: From Collapse to Control
Team Heretics’ Grand Final started in disaster. On Fnatic’s Lotus pick, they were completely outclassed, with Crashies and Chronicle forming an ironclad defense that led to a dominant 13-4 win. Things worsened on Sunset, Heretics’ own map choice, where their game-plan fell apart in a crushing 13-1 defeat. Down 0-2, another finals heartbreak seemed inevitable.
But everything changed on Icebox. Wo0t, silent in the opening maps, came alive on KAY/O, landing impact frags and clutching crucial rounds. A narrow 13-11 win kept their hopes alive and gave them a much-needed confidence boost.
That belief carried over to Haven, even after Fnatic raced to a 9-3 halftime lead. The infamous “9-3 curse” struck again as Heretics mounted a brilliant second-half comeback. Wo0t, now on Iso, spearheaded the turnaround with fearless aggression, while the rest of the team held firm under pressure. A 13-10 victory tied the series and set up a winner-takes-all map on Ascent.
Decider on Ascent
Ascent, the final battleground, delivered the tense showdown fans hoped for. Fnatic held a slim 7-5 lead at halftime, but their passive mid-rounding and hesitation gave Heretics an opening, and they took it.
Heretics punished every misstep with precision. MiniBoo and RieNs rose to the occasion, bringing calm under pressure and crucial frags to close out the series. A 13-10 victory sealed the reverse sweep, capping off one of the greatest comebacks VALORANT has ever seen.
History Made in Riyadh
The win marks Heretics’ first-ever title in VALORANT - regional or international - finally breaking their curse after five previous finals losses. Wo0t’s redemption arc was completed with MVP honors, his impact undeniable in the series’ turnaround.
Heretics now sit at shared first place in the EWC leaderboard with 1000 Club Points, joining DetonatioN FocusMe and Max Verstappen’s BMW M Redline Racing.
For Los Niños, this victory is more than a trophy; it’s a statement. Team Heretics are no longer just contenders. They are world champions.
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Feature image credit: Esports World Cup
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