NEW DELHI: Day 1 of the Valorant Esports World Cup (EWC 2025) 2025 saw a thrilling start to the group stages in Riyadh, with 16 world-class teams divided into four groups (A–D). Each group followed a double-elimination GSL format, where teams competed in best-of-one (BO1) initial matches, followed by best-of-three (BO3) winners’ matches.
In Group A, Paper Rex stormed through their opening match against Bilibili Gaming (1–0) and then dominated Karmine Corp (2–0) in the winners’ match to become the first team from the group to qualify for playoffs. Karmine Corp, who had earlier defeated G2 Esports (1–0), will now play the group decider, while both Bilibili and G2 dropped into the elimination bracket.
Group B delivered intense upsets. BBL Esports pulled off back-to-back wins—first against Sentinels (1–0), and then a stunning 2–0 sweep over DRX in the winners’ match, securing their playoff spot. DRX had earlier won against XLG Esports (1–0) and will now play in the decider match. Sentinels and XLG head to elimination.
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Group C saw Rex Regum Qeon (RRQ) come out as surprise front-runners. They cleanly defeated Team Heretics (1–0) and then overpowered NRG in the winners’ match (2–0), becoming the third team to lock a playoff berth. 100 Thieves vs Titan Esports Club did not conclude on Day 1 and remains to be played, which leaves the lower bracket picture incomplete for now.
Group D witnessed expected heavyweights Fnatic live up to the hype. They edged past 100 Thieves (1–0) and went on to defeat Gen.G (2–0) in a confident playoff-qualifying win. Gen.G had earlier beaten EDward Gaming (1–0) and will now face NRG in the decider match. EDG and 100T have fallen into the lower bracket.
By the end of Day 1, four teams—Paper Rex, BBL Esports, Rex Regum Qeon, and Fnatic—had already qualified for the playoffs. Several top-tier squads like Sentinels, EDward Gaming, and G2 Esports are now in danger of early exits, with high-stakes elimination matches coming up next.
Group A
| Team | Record | Status |
| Paper Rex | 2–0 | ✅ Qualified for Playoffs |
| Bilibili Gaming | 0–1 | ❌ Dropped to Elimination Match |
| Karmine Corp | 1–0 | 🔜 To play in Decider Match |
| G2 Esports | 0–1 | ❌ Dropped to Elimination Match |
Group B
| Team | Record | Status |
| BBL Esports | 2–0 | ✅ Qualified for Playoffs |
| DRX | 1–1 | 🔜 To play in Decider Match |
| Sentinels | 0–1 | ❌ Dropped to Elimination Match |
| XLG Esports | 0–1 | ❌ Dropped to Elimination Match |
Group C
| Team | Record | Status |
| Rex Regum Qeon | 2–0 | ✅ Qualified for Playoffs |
| Team Heretics | 0–1 | ❌ Dropped to Elimination Match |
| 100 Thieves | 0–0 | 🔜 Yet to play (vs Titan Esports Club) |
| Titan Esports Club | 0–0 | 🔜 Yet to play (vs 100 Thieves) |
Group D
| Team | Record | Status |
| Fnatic | 2–0 | ✅ Qualified for Playoffs |
| Gen.G Esports | 1–0 | 🔜 To play in Decider Match |
| EDward Gaming | 0–1 | ❌ Dropped to Elimination Match |
| NRG | 1–1 | 🔜 To play in Decider Match |
DOTA 2
Day 1 of Dota 2 at the Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh delivered a mix of dominant sweeps and tense stalemates as all four groups saw action. Sixteen top teams from around the world are competing in a round-robin group stage format, where each series is played as a best-of-two (BO2). A 2–0 win earns three points, a 1–1 draw gives one point to each team, and a 0–2 loss yields none.
In Group A, it was an incredibly balanced day as all four matches ended in 1–1 draws. Talon Esports and Natus Vincere played out a close series, while Team Spirit and Xtreme Gaming also split games evenly. With every team tied on one point, Group A is wide open heading into Day 2.
Group B witnessed the rise of BB Team, who were the only squad to score a clean 2–0 victory—defeating Virtus.pro with authority. The other matches, Team Falcons vs Execration and Gaimin Gladiators vs Execration, ended in 1–1 draws, leaving BB Team at the top of the group with three points.
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In Group C, two dominant performances defined the day. Tundra Esports swept Team Yandex 2–0, while Aurora pulled off a similar feat against Shopify Rebellion, showing early signs of strong form. Both teams now sit at the top of the group with three points each, while Shopify and Yandex face pressure in their next games.
Group D saw two clean 2–0 victories as well. Team Liquid began their campaign with a confident sweep of HEROIC, and PVISION also registered a 2–0 win (opponent not listed in the match data). These results place Liquid and PVISION in the lead, while HEROIC starts at the bottom of the group.
By the end of Day 1, five teams—BB Team, Tundra Esports, Aurora, Team Liquid, and PVISION—had claimed early leads with perfect series wins. Meanwhile, Group A remains the most competitive pool, with no clear leader after a day of deadlocks.
