We’re Back for Round Two of the Esports World Cup Qualifiers

We return for a second round of the Esports World Cup Qualifiers. This time, MESWA (Middle East, South Asia, West Asia) and SEA (Southeast Asia) battled for one slot each in their respective regions. Both results and team performances brought plenty of surprises.

In SEA, Execration rose from the ashes of past glory to secure their place at The International 2025. Not long after, in MESWA, Virtus.pro made the most of their one shot at greatness and walked away with the win.

Esports World Cup Qualifiers: SEA

Let’s start with SEA, the first region to conclude its second-round Esports World Cup Qualifiers. SEA is packed with strong teams, and Flipster Talon Esports already secured an invite after finishing seventh on the EPT Leaderboard this year.

BOOM Esports was the first to reach the Grand Finals, though it wasn’t an easy road through the closed qualifiers. Their run included three hard-fought 2-1 victories over KUKUYS, Tech Free Gaming, and Execration.

They advanced, but the narrow victories suggested they were struggling. – Credit: Strafe

Execration reached the upper bracket finals by defeating Castawake Esports and Ivory, but then lost to BOOM and fell into the lower bracket. There, they faced Tech Free Gaming once again and breezed through with a clean 2-0, earning their rematch in the Grand Finals.

In the Grand Finals, Execration and BOOM Esports battled across four maps. After splitting the first two games 1-1, Execration took control of the series. They won the third map and gave BOOM no opportunity to recover in the fourth, sealing the series 3-1 and claiming the SEA slot for the Esports World Cup.

Execration makes a triumphant return to Tier 1 Dota 2, earning their place at the EWC. – Credit: Twitter (@ExecrationGG)

Esports World Cup Qualifiers: MESWA

Following the SEA conclusion, the spotlight shifted to MESWA for a very different run. As a newer competitive region, MESWA often attracts teams looking for a potentially “easier” path to international competition. That may explain Virtus.pro’s decision to participate.

The Russian squad played only two matches before reaching the Grand Finals, winning both 2-1. Their victories came against Team Secret and Nigma Galaxy, pushing the latter into the lower bracket.

Nigma Galaxy would bounce back, while VP’s story mirrored BOOM’s — but with a better outcome. – Credit: Strafe

Nigma Galaxy fought their way through the lower bracket, defeating Team Secret convincingly, and earned a rematch against Virtus.pro in the Grand Finals.

Unlike SEA, this time the upper bracket winner held strong. The series between Virtus.pro and Nigma Galaxy began with a 1-1 split, but VP pulled ahead with a grueling 68-minute win in Game 3, then closed out the series in just 36 minutes in Game 4 to finish 3-1.

Virtus.pro overcame Nigma Galaxy to claim the MESWA slot in the Esports World Cup Qualifiers. – Credit: Twitter (@virtuspro)

If you want to catch up on all the action from previous Esports World Cup Qualifier matches — including recaps, standout plays, and team performances — or if you’re looking to stay up to date with the next stages of the qualifiers, be sure to visit the news section on the Strafe website!

Featured Image Source: Twitter (@EWC_EN)