Team Heretics Complete a Reverse Sweep to Win The 2025 Valorant Esports World Cup

Miguel Méndez
Jul 13
2 min read

Updated: Jul 15

The 2025 Valorant Esports World Cup came to a close on July 13 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with Team Heretics completing a thrilling reverse sweep against FNATIC in the grand final. The new international event concluded with a best-of-five series between the top two teams from the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) EMEA Stage 1.

Team Heretics opened the Valorant EWC group stage with a loss that forced them into the elimination matches, where they recovered by defeating Titan Esports Club and Rex Regum Qeon to advance from Group C. In playoffs, they maintained their momentum with wins over BBL Esports and Gen.G Esports, securing their place in the series that decided the first-place prize of $500,000 and 1,000 EWC Club points.

Also read: Velocity Gaming To Represent South Asia At The VCT Ascension Pacific 2025

Team Heretics Defeated FNATIC at EWC 2025 to Win Their First-Ever Final After Six Attempts

Team Heretics Defeated FNATIC At EWC 2025 To Win Their First Of Their Six Finals — Credits: Team Heretics

The final began on Lotus, with FNATIC dominating their map pick from the first round through a solid defence that gave them a 9-4 lead at the side swap. Team Heretics couldn't respond after the break and lost 13-4. On Sunset, they managed to win only one round, falling to the edge of elimination in a 13-1 loss against a standout Kajetan 'kaajak' Haremski, who played a key role in his team's win.

Starting on Icebox, the series became more balanced, with a 6-6 scoreline at halftime. After the side swap, both teams continued trading rounds, but Team Heretics' defence proved stronger, taking the map 13-11. On Haven, FNATIC once again took the lead and looked headed for a quick finish, going into halftime with a 9-3 advantage. However, Heretics turned things around in the second half, conceding only one round to force a fifth and final map with a 13-10 win.

The series was decided on Ascent, with FNATIC taking a 7-5 lead at halftime thanks to a solid defensive setup led by Austin 'Crashies' Roberts and Emir 'Alfajer' Ali Beder. However, after the side swap, Team Heretics took control of the match, shutting down their opponents starting from the pistol round and turning the score around. Although Timofey 'Chronicle' Khromov managed to secure a couple of rounds for his team, Enes 'RieNs' Ecirli played a key role in stopping the orange squad's efforts, and Mert 'Wo0t' Alkan closed out the map with a 13-10 win.

A Historic Win For Team Heretics At The VALORANT Esports World Cup 2025

With their victory over FNATIC in the grand final of the 2025 Valorant Esports World Cup, Team Heretics not only earned revenge for their 3-0 loss in the VCT EMEA Stage 1 final but also claimed their first international title. In addition to the trophy and the $500,000 prize, the team secured 1,000 EWC Club Points, keeping them in the race for the $7,000,000 reward that will go to the top-ranked organisation.