EWC 2025 Day 5 Recap: VALORANT Champions Crowned, Dota 2 Playoffs Set & Falcons Fly in Apex

The Dota 2 playoff picture was locked in on Sunday as the elimination gauntlet came to a close. Four do-or-die series determined which teams would join the group winners in the quarter-finals. Gaimin Gladiators, Tundra Esports, Team Falcons, and PARIVISION earned their spots after hard-fought wins, eliminating Natus Vincere, Team Falcons, Talon Esports, Team Yandex, and Xtreme Gaming. The eight remaining squads now gear up for a championship push next week, led by early favourites Team Liquid, Team Spirit, BetBoom, and Aurora Gaming.

In one of the tournament’s most exciting finishes so far, Team Heretics pulled off a massive reverse sweep to defeat Fnatic 3–2 in the VALORANT grand final. Fnatic stormed out to a 2–0 lead, looking poised for a clean sweep, but Heretics rallied incredibly, winning the following three maps to snatch the title. The victory netted them $500,000 and the honour of being EWC’s first-ever VALORANT champions. Fnatic, despite the hot start, had to settle for second place after falling just short.

The ALGS Midseason Playoffs Grand Final took place Sunday in front of an electric Riyadh crowd. After days of group stages and qualifiers, 20 top teams dropped in for a high-pressure, match-point format final. Team Falcons, representing Saudi Arabia and fielding stars ImperialHal, Zer0, and Wxltzy, rose to the occasion. The hometown favourites held firm in the final circle and clinched the championship, sending the venue into celebration. They took home the $600,000 top

prize and significant bragging rights.

The Wildcard Stage of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid-Season Cup came to an end, with only one slot in the main tournament up for grabs. In a tense best-of-five decider, China’s Rare Atom outlasted Virtus.pro to secure their place in the MSC group stage. It was a perfect wrap to the Wildcard phase – one final brawl before the main event begins.