
Esports World Cup 2025 heads into fourth week with four big titles up for grabs
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In the tournament's fourth week, the chess title will be decided. With a $1,500,000 prize pool on the line — along with Club Championship points — there's all to play for. Meanwhile PUBG Mobile World Cup will have a new champion after titleholders Alpha7 Esports were eliminated. Overwatch 2 will crown its Midseason Championship winner, while Mobile Legends: Bang Bang's Midseason Cup final will also take place.
Chess
With a prize pool of $1.5 million up for grabs, the inaugural chess tournament at the 2025 Esports World Cup concludes on Aug. 1. The Last Chance Qualifiers saw 256 players enter, and now there are just eight contenders left. First seed Magnus Carlsen was the clear favorite before the tournament began, with second and third seeds Hikaru Nakamura and Ian Nepomniachtchi next in line. All three qualified from the group stage and now head into the playoffs. Keep an eye on Nihal Sarin, who managed to knock out number four seed Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in the Group B lower bracket final – he emerged from the Last Chance Qualifier and is seeded just outside the top 10.
PUBG Mobile
An intense week of PUBG Mobile action has seen 24 teams whittled down to 16 for the grand final, with potentially just 14 matches deciding who walks out with the trophy. Defending champions, Alpha7 Esports, had a nightmare start to the tournament, failing to qualify for the grand final in the group stage, forcing them into the perilous survival stage. While many expected them to bounce back, another disastrous performance saw them eliminated in 21st place, meaning a new PMWC champion will be crowned in the coming days.
Overwatch 2
The Overwatch Champions Series' Midseason Championship also takes place in Week 4, with $1 million on the line. Sixteen teams will enter the group stage, with the top two from each group advancing into a perilous single elimination bracket. With the OWCS: Midseason Championship at the 2025 Esports World Cup happening over four days, expect some top tier action. EWC 2024 champions Crazy Raccoon will be looking to join the two-time winners club, but they will face stiff competition from one of the most competitive fields ever.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
With a total of $3 million up for grabs in the prize pool, the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid Season Cup has plenty at stake. After the dramatic Wildcard tournament in Week 1 followed by an intense group stage in Week 3, we are now firmly into the business end of the tournament, with the playoff bracket underway. Only the very best teams remain, with the likes of ONIC and Team Liquid leading the way. With life-changing money on the line, you do not want to miss the MLBB action.
Club Championship Standings
As the action heads into its fourth weekend of finals action, the Club Championship is really heating up, with every winner being a unique Club so far. Will we finally see a side claim a second trophy this year in Week 4?
Team Vitality is still leading the Club Championship Rankings with 2,400 points, having not gained in Week 3. Their closest competitors are Gen.G Esports on 2,000, and Team Falcons on 1,950, both of whom gained on Vitality in Week 3. Elsewhere, AG.AL have joined Team Falcons in third place. All but AG.AL are represented in chess, while Team Falcons has a side in the PUBG Mobile event. OW 2 features Team Falcons and AG.AL, alongside Virtus.Pro and Team Liquid, who sit just behind them in joint fifth place.
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