Esports World Cup 2025 CS2 Favorites and Underdogs

The 2025 Esports World Cup for Counter-Strike 2 (EWC 2025) kicks off on August 20 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The tournament features 16 of the world’s top teams and follows a single-elimination format, making every match critically important. Let’s take a closer look at the main favorites and potential underdogs of the tournament.

EWC 2025 CounterStrike 2 Favorites

Based on the latest tournament results, I would like to highlight only three teams that consistently secure top positions in championships and demonstrate strong performances.

Team Spirit

The Ukrainian-Russian team Team Spirit continues to dominate on the international stage. In August 2025, they secured a decisive victory at BLAST Bounty Fall 2025, defeating The MongolZ 3-0 in the grand final. Earlier in August, the team also won Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2025, defeating MOUZ 3-0. These achievements reinforce their status as one of the main contenders for the EWC 2025 title.

Team Vitality

The French team Team Vitality continues to deliver strong results. In 2025, they won IEM Katowice 2025, IEM Melbourne 2025, and IEM Dallas 2025, demonstrating consistency on the international stage. However, at BLAST Bounty Fall 2025, they were eliminated in the semifinals by The MongolZ with a 0-2 score. Despite this, the team remains among the favorites for the EWC 2025 tournament.

MOUZ

The German team MOUZ is also among the world's strongest teams. In 2025, they reached the semifinals of BLAST Bounty Fall 2025, where they lost 0-2 to Team Spirit. Despite this, MOUZ continues to achieve high results in major tournaments and can challenge the favorites of EWC 2025.

In summary, Team Spirit, Team Vitality, and MOUZ are the strongest teams likely to compete for the title at EWC 2025.

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EWC 2025 CounterStrike 2 Underdogs

While the Esports World Cup 2025 (EWC 2025) gathers the top teams from around the globe, several squads are entering the tournament as underdogs. These teams have faced inconsistent results in recent competitions or are still seeking to regain their top form, making their path to the later stages of the event more challenging.

Team Liquid

The American organization Team Liquid has extensive international experience, but their recent results have been underwhelming. At recent tournaments, they struggled to maintain consistency, casting doubt on their chances for top placements at EWC 2025. Nevertheless, they won the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid Season Cup at the event, demonstrating the organization’s overall strength.

TYLOO

The Chinese team TYLOO earned their spot at EWC 2025 by winning the Asian League. However, their international performances have been mixed, and they are not considered tournament favorites. Recently, they won the FISSURE Playground 1 tournament by defeating Astralis in the final, indicating a possible improvement in form.

GamerLegion

The Swedish team GamerLegion had strong results last year, but in 2025 their form raises questions. They failed to advance far in recent competitions, reducing their chances of success at EWC 2025. Most recently, they lost 0–2 to Falcons at IEM Cologne 2025, highlighting their current difficulties.

Astralis

The Danish organization Astralis has shown inconsistent results in recent months. Despite having experienced players like dev1ce, their performances in major tournaments have fallen short of expectations, placing them among the underdogs at EWC 2025. They were defeated 0–2 by Vitality at IEM Cologne 2025, reflecting their ongoing struggles.

3DMAX The French team 3DMAX has delivered mixed results on the international stage. While they have secured some victories, their overall statistics prevent them from being considered favorites. They recently lost 0–2 to Falcons at IEM Cologne 2025, underlining their current challenges.

EWC 2025 CounterStrike 2 Match Schedule

In 2025, the Esports World Cup (EWC) for Counter-Strike 2 will take place from August 20 to 24 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, featuring a total prize pool of $1.25 million. The tournament brings together 16 teams and follows a Single Elimination format, with matches played as Best-of-3, except for the grand final, which will be contested as a Best-of-5.

August 20 (Round of 16):

• 14:00 — NAVI vs 3DMAX
• 14:00 — GamerLegion vs The MongolZ
• 17:15 — Vitality vs Liquid
• 17:15 — TYLOO vs Astralis
• 20:30 — FaZe vs Aurora
• 20:30 — Spirit vs Heroic

August 21 (Round of 16):

• 14:00 — Virtus.pro vs MOUZ
• 14:00 — G2 Esports vs Falcons

August 22 (Quarterfinals):

• Matchups TBD

August 23 (Semifinals):

• Matchups TBD

August 24:

• 13:00 — Third-place match
• 16:15 — Grand Final

All matches will be streamed on the tournament’s official YouTube and Twitch channels.

Well, now that you’re familiar with the favorites and underdogs of the tournament, all that’s left is to wait for the first matches. Who knows—this prestigious event might bring some unexpected results, or perhaps Falcons have learned from their mistakes and are now aiming to claim the top spot in the world. We’ll find out very soon!