Esports World Cup’s CS2 tournament was won by one of the world’s top five teams, but certainly not by one of the big favorites.
It is now clear that the pecking order has finally changed, after six months in which Team Vitality thoroughly dominated the professional scene.
EWC Results
This CS2 event featured 16 of the world’s best teams. Naturally, everyone wanted to see the likes of Natus Vincere and Team Spirit fighting for the top positions, but both of these teams were eliminated, against all odds, in the round of 16.
Then came MOUZ’s turn to lose, long before the Grand Final or even the semifinals. Team Falcons proved to be just a bit stronger. However, in the semifinals, their dream was ruined by Aurora Gaming.
In the other semifinals, The MongolZ, who had defeated GamerLegion and 3DMAX, encountered Team Vitality for the eighth time this year. This was their second victory, and it came just one week after the one obtained at IEM Cologne, which must have angered Dan “apEX” Madesclaire.
In the third-place match, Vitality lost one more time against a team they used to dominate, suggesting that their overall strategy is no longer working as effectively as it once did.
For Team Falcons, this victory was bittersweet. They didn’t win the Grand Final, but they did win 3rd place against a formidable opponent in a match that would have been the Grand Final just a few months ago.
Moving forward, Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov and his teammates will need to find ways to beat not just Vitality and MOUZ, but also Spirit, The MongolZ, and NAVI.
The biggest surprise of this tournament was, arguably, Aurora Gaming. The Turks managed to eliminate FaZe Clan, HEROIC, and Team Falcons on their path to the Grand Final, but then they were crushed 3 – 0 by The MongolZ.
This was MongolZ’s first trophy in 2025, after two missed opportunities at the Austin Major and BLAST Bounty Fall.
and then went on to win to more matches, defeating Aurora Gaming in the
