[Today’s EWC] CROSSFIRE Day 1 Recap: “The Prelude to Chaos” 2025-08-20

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Smilegate announced that on Day 1 of the CROSSFIRE tournament at the ‘Esports World Cup 2025’ (EWC), currently underway in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the teams advancing to the winners’ bracket were decided. The opening day featured strong performances from Chinese teams, while Al Qadsiah and Team Stallions also secured victories, making it difficult to predict the outcomes for the rest of the tournament.

■ Group A:  Al Qadsiah2–1 King Zero / Gaimin Gladiators 2–1 Twisted Minds

The group stage opener and tournament’s first match saw all four Group A teams play. Among them, CROSSFIRE fans’ attention was on Al Qadsiahfrom Brazil’s league and King Zero from Chinese league. King Zero started strong, demonstrating Chinese dominance with a 10–2 scoreline. However, in the next two sets, Al Qadsiahrallied behind “FEfej” (Felipe “Castro) and “akt” (Thales Motta) to win 10–3 and 10–8, creating the first upset of the day.

The Gaimin Gladiators vs. Twisted Minds match followed a similar trajectory. Twisted Minds won the first set 10–5, but Gaimin Gladiators turned the tables. Tiago “LionClaw” Coelho and Ozan “sp0xyy” Karabulut neutralized star player  Nguyễn "KIMBUM" Công Tuấn Thànhleading their team to narrow 10–7 and 10–6 victories.

■ Group B: Qing Jiu 2–0 ROC / Team Liquid 2–0 EVOS

Qing Jiu, considered the strongest team in Group B, faced MENA representative ROC and barely secured victory after two extended sets. In the first set on “Sub Base,” Qing Jiu fell behind 1–5 early, signaling trouble. However, they won the last three rounds of the half to close the gap to 4–5. In the second half, led by Lin “XJ” Zhijie, they surged ahead 6–2 to claim the set. The second set was back-and-forth: Qing Jiu led 5–4 in the first half, ROC tied 5–4 in the second. But Qing Jiu’s endurance shone through, sweeping four rounds in overtime to secure the win.

Team Liquid earned a 2–0 sweep against EVOS to advance to the winners’ match. Whenever starting on defense, Liquid deployed a double-sniper setup with Caio “Goken” Dos Santos and Nicolas “77” Lisboa, creating an impenetrable wall. EVOS’s Cristian “Xetra” Navarro showed impressive finishing power, but without sufficient support from teammates, the squad fell into the losers’ bracket.

■ Group C: Baisha 2–0 Falcon / EP 2–0 Inner Circle

In Group C, two strong championship contenders—Baisha Gaming and Evolution Power Gaming (EP)—advanced with ease to the winners’ matches. Baisha Gaming, with Wang “N9” Hao proving his enduring form, defeated Team Falcon 2–0. The second set was particularly brutal, ending 10–1, leaving Falcon helpless.

The second Group C match between EP and Inner Circle also ended in a 2–0 sweep for EP. With standout performances from Li “ZAY” Zekai, Jiang “xqq” Ke, and Yan “YZK” Kai, EP displayed the dominant level of play befitting a title contender.

■ Group D: AG.AL 2–0 Virtus.pro / Team Stallions 2–1 Natus Vincere

The first Group D match featured powerhouse All Gamers (AG.AL) against Vietnam’s up-and-coming Virtus.pro. The key question was how much of a fight Virtus.pro could put up, but AG.AL’s experience and firepower proved overwhelming. After sizing up their opponent with a 10–7 win in the first set, AG.AL crushed the second set on “Eagle Eye” 10–1 to advance.

The final match of the day between Team Stallions and Natus Vincere (Na’Vi) became a slugfest, with the first set extending into a golden round. Na’Vi’s Juan “Juan1” Gomes landed consecutive snipes to derail Stallion’s early momentum, securing a 13–12 win. But Stallions, who had proven competitive against Chinese teams in the Asia Champions League, surged ahead 5–1 in the second set and carried that momentum to close out the next two sets 10–5 and 10–4 for the comeback victory.

Meanwhile, Day 2 on the 20th will feature both winners’ and losers’ matches in each group. Teams that win their winners’ match will advance to the quarterfinals, while those who lose in the losers’ match will see their EWC journey end.

The CROSSFIRE competition at EWC 2025 will run group stages until the 21st, followed by semifinals on the 22nd and 23rd to crown the champion. Matches will be broadcast live in English, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Portuguese across platforms such as YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, TikTok, Douyu, and Huya—making them accessible anywhere.