Underdogs on Rebirth Island
Rebirth Island was the stage, $250,000 was on the line, and fourteen teams dropped in chasing the same dream. In the end, it was Twisted Minds who stood tall, taking out Call of Duty: Warzone at the Esports World Cup 2025 with a performance that had the hometown crowd buzzing.
Heading into the finals, the smart money was on Team Falcons, last year’s champions, or Virtus.pro, who’d both been running the show in the earlier rounds. But battle royale is never predictable, and Twisted Minds proved exactly why you can never count anyone out.
TWISTED ARE YOUR WARZONE EWC CHAMPIONS 🏆
وأخييييرًا تويستد مايندز أبطال كأس العالم وارزون 🧠🔥🔥#TwistTheGame #EWC2025 pic.twitter.com/Dju2iMDrjQ
— Twisted Minds 🧠 (@TwisMinds) August 9, 2025
A Decisive Final Day
Over ten tense matches in Riyadh, the Saudi Arabian organisation, made up of US stars Aydan “Aydan” Conrad, Riley “zSmit” Smith, and newcomer Benjamin “Almond” Rosendahl, kept themselves in the fight. They chipped away at the leaderboard with high-kill games, always in striking distance, always dangerous.
AYDAN ALMOND AND SMIT ARE YOUR EWC WARZONE CHAMPIONS
ONE OF THE BEST WARZONE FINISHES ALL TIME pic.twitter.com/KO0iqpcyoC
— Jake Lucky (@JakeSucky) August 9, 2025
The turning point came in the very last match. Sitting among five teams on match point, Twisted Minds needed to make a statement. They didn’t just win, they obliterated the lobby, dropping 24 kills and locking in first place to snatch the trophy from the favourites. It was the organisation’s first-ever EWC title, and it couldn’t have been more dramatic.
MVP Honours for zSmit
For zSmit, the victory came with extra silverware. His aggressive, clutch-heavy play across all ten matches earned him the SONY MVP award and an extra $10,000. From early-game picks to last-circle heroics, he was a constant thorn in the side of every team that crossed his sights.
Image Credit: Esports World Cup
Impact on the Club Championship
The win also launches Twisted Minds up the Club Championship standings, where they now sit in fifth place with five events still to come. With momentum on their side, they’ve put the rest of the field on notice—this isn’t a one-off.
What’s Next at EWC 2025
The Esports World Cup now shifts gears into Counter-Strike 2, but for Warzone fans, Twisted Minds’ run will be remembered as one of the most electrifying moments of the tournament so far.