[Today’s EWC] CROSSFIRE Group Stage Concludes – Quarterfinalists Decid… 2025-08-22

■ King Zero, ROC, Baisha, and Team Stallion Secure Quarterfinal Spots in Final Group Matches on the 21st

■ All Five Chinese Teams Advance to the Quarterfinals – Spotlight on Al Qadsiah vs. Team Stallion Clash

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Smilegate announced on Friday, the 22nd, that the group stage of the CROSSFIRE tournament at the “Esports World Cup 2025” (EWC), currently underway in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has concluded, finalizing the quarterfinal bracket.

▶Final Matches: Narrow Escapes – A New Battle Awaits in the Quarterfinals!

■ Group A: King Zero 2–0 Gaimin Gladiators

In the Group A decider, King Zero swept Gaimin Gladiators 2–0 to secure a quarterfinal berth. King Zero jumped out to a 3–0 lead in the first set and maintained control, though Gaimin fought back to push both halves to 5–4. King Zero narrowly took it 10–8. The hero of the day was sniper Cao “YF” Yuanfeng, who shut down Gaimin’s pushes. In the second set, Yuanfeng anchored the defense from the B site, cutting off mid rotations, and later locked down the 12 o’clock angle from mid, enabling teammates to freely pressure both A and B. Thanks to his impact, King Zero closed the set 10–5 and advanced.

■ Group B: ROC 2–1 Team Liquid

MENA representative ROC outlasted Team Liquid 2–1 to reach the quarterfinals. ROC’s Abdelrahman “Slayer” Faje was the standout. In the first set, he recorded 12 kills and 5 deaths in the first half, then 9 more kills in the second half, carrying ROC to a 10–5 win. After Liquid tied the series, Faje once again rose to the occasion in the decider. In Round 2 of the first half, he clutched a 1v3, then carried momentum forward to finish with 18 kills and 9 deaths, leading ROC to a dominant 10–2 win and a place in the quarterfinals.

■ Group C: Baisha Gaming 2–0 Team Falcon

Top favorites Baisha Gaming swept Team Falcon 2–0. Early in the first set, Baisha struggled, barely leading 5–4 at halftime and even surrendering two rounds at the start of the second half. That’s when star player Wang “N9” Hao took over. Once he steadied the team, Baisha surged to five straight round wins to close the first set. The second set was also N9’s stage—he racked up 10 kills and just 1 death during a six-round win streak. Although Falcon mounted brief resistance at 6–4, Baisha rattled off four more rounds to seal the match and punch their ticket to the quarterfinals.

■ Group D: Team Stallion 2–1 Natus Vincere

Group D’s decider was a true drama. Team Stallion dropped the first set in a golden round but came back with a 10–4 win in the second, forcing a deciding set. Na’Vi’s Juan “juan1” Gomez shone early, using the Colt to clutch rounds and displaying his best form of the tournament. Yet Stallion struck back, pulling away 9–3 in the second set by stringing together six consecutive round wins across halves. The third set was a tense back-and-forth, tied 7–7 late. In Round 6 of the second half, RJ “JJhae” Bacus—who had only three kills in the set—made a daring solo flank and scored two crucial kills to clutch the round. Stallion then claimed Rounds 8 and 9 to finally end the marathon battle and advance to the quarterfinals.

The CROSSFIRE competition at EWC 2025 will continue with the quarterfinals on the 22nd, followed by the semifinals and grand final on the 23rd to crown the champion. All matches are being broadcast live worldwide in English, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Portuguese across YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, TikTok, Douyu, and Huya.