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Twisted Minds have finally done it. After falling short at last year’s Esports World Cup, the squad came back stronger in 2025, holding their nerve through one of the closest PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS finals we’ve seen in years to lift the trophy in Riyadh.

The road to the grand final wasn’t entirely smooth. Placed in Group C during the qualifiers, Twisted Minds didn’t exactly dominate, but steady results were enough to secure their place in the finals. They weren’t considered top contenders heading in, but the Eastern European side had other plans once the pressure was on.

Across the 12-round finale, the team showed grit and consistency, becoming the only side to claim two chicken dinners on the second day. Their penultimate win gave them a vital buffer on the leaderboard, one they’d desperately need in the final match.

That last game was a nerve-shredder. Two of their players were taken out almost instantly, leaving Dmytrii “Perfect1ks” Dubenyuk and Artem “xmpl” Adarkin stranded in the storm. Somehow, the duo fought their way to a fifth-place finish, grabbing enough points to keep their rivals at bay and secure the title.

Aleksandr “BatulinS” Batulin summed it up best after the win:

“I’m thankful for my team, my family, my girlfriend, and the whole Twisted Minds family. To the fans cheering us here—it was the most amazing tournament. Now we are finally world champions.”

Image via esportsworldcup.com

Image via esportsworldcup.com

SONY MVP: sxntastico shines

While Twisted Minds celebrated, ROC Esports’ Gabriel “sxntastico” Silva was recognised as the SONY MVP of the tournament. The Brazilian was in fine form across the finals, notching 18 kills and 25 knockouts that often swung matches in his team’s favour. His efforts earned him $10,000 alongside the MVP medal, a huge individual highlight despite ROC Esports finishing 11th overall.

Image Credit: Esports World Cup

The Club Championship shake-up

The result also had a big impact on the Esports World Cup Club Championship standings. Twisted Minds’ 1,000-point haul moves them into joint fourth alongside Virtus.pro, while Team Falcons’ third-place finish was enough to push them back into first overall. Gen.G also solidified their spot near the top after taking home 750 points for finishing second.

With hundreds more matches still to come across multiple titles, the EWC 2025 story is far from over. PUBG may be wrapped, but the spotlight now shifts to Counter-Strike 2, where fans can expect clutch plays, iconic maps, and another battle for the ages.