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The Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh has already delivered some of the biggest upsets in Counter-Strike history — but many fans are now pointing the finger at the format itself. With NAVI, Spirit, and FaZe all crashing out before the quarter-finals, the brutal Single Elimination structure is under heavy scrutiny.

A Harsh Single Elimination Format

Unlike most elite Counter-Strike tournaments that feature a double elimination group stage or Swiss format, the Esports World Cup 2025 CS2 event is being run entirely as a Single Elimination Bracket.

That means one bad best-of-three series is enough to send a team home. There are no lower brackets, no second chances, and no room to recover from an off day.

Day One of the Round of 16 saw 12 of the 16 participants play, but six teams were eliminated before a live audience even entered the venue. The two remaining Round of 16 games were pushed to Day Two, which also conveniently featured home favourites Team Falcons.

This scheduling quirk has raised eyebrows, with some wondering if organisers placed certain matches strategically to maximise ticket sales and local interest.

NAVI, FaZe, and Spirit All Fall Victim

The harshest criticism of the format comes from the fact that three of the biggest favourites, NAVI, FaZe, and Spirit, were all eliminated before the quarter-finals.

  • NAVI, the defending champions, were stunned 2-1 by 3DMAX in their opening match. Despite a strong showing from makazze, they couldn’t survive a nail-biting decider on Nuke.
  • FaZe fell apart against Aurora, winning their Inferno pick but collapsing on Mirage and Overpass, where their T-side woes resurfaced.
  • Spirit, fresh off titles at IEM Cologne and BLAST Bounty, were eliminated by HEROIC in a tense overtime Mirage decider — their first series loss to a non-elite team in 2025.

Under other formats, these teams might have had the chance to bounce back in a lower bracket or group stage. Instead, they’re already on a plane home after playing just one match.

Fans Question the Competitive Integrity

With so many big names gone before the weekend stage, many are questioning whether the Esports World Cup format is too punishing.

Some argue that Single Elimination creates high drama and unpredictability, every map and every round matters. But for teams, players, and fans, it also means that months of preparation can be undone by a single clutch or a bad pistol round.

The fact that half the tournament field was eliminated in just one series has made the event feel more like a coinflip to some fans, rather than the definitive world championship it aims to be.

Should the Format Change?

As the Esports World Cup continues, the debate will rage on. Should the world’s largest esports festival really rely on a single elimination bracket, or should a fairer system, like double elimination or Swiss groups, be introduced next year?

For now, the drama is undeniable. But so too is the frustration for fans who won’t get to see NAVI, FaZe, or Spirit on the big stage again this week.