10 Wildest and Memorable Moments From the Esports World Cup

The Esports World Cup 2024 is in the books and it was filled with action-packed events in some of the most popular games in the world. Today we are looking back on the top 10 moments from this year’s tournament!

10. Yagami completes the rare reverse-sweep at EWC: Tekken

A reverse-sweep is a rare sight to behold, especially on a stage as big as the Esports World Cup. So it was a special moment when Yagami successfully secured a 5-map reverse-sweep comeback against Chanel in the Quarterfinals.

Down 4-maps off the rip, Yagami settled into a gauntlet wherein even one misstep would have sent him home. Determined to win and driven by perfection, he was able to play near flawless Tekken, ending the comeback in Game 9 with one of the most beautiful Tekken combos of the tournament.

Watch his victorious moment!

9. Clem ushers in a new age of Terran at EWC SC2

Esports as we know it was born out of professional StarCraft 2. StarCraft 2 pros, players, and fans built this house, so you have to put some respect on the name of any StarCraft 2 Champion, including the first-ever EWC SC2 champion Clem.

He put on an unprecedented performance at EWC SC2, redefining the Terran faction on the international stage right before our eyes. In the Grand Finals, Clem overcame his long-time nemesis, and the greatest player in the world, Serral in a brutal 5-0 Grand Finals stomping. \

To understand just how thoroughly he mollywhopped Serral, you’ll have to go back and watch the entire series. But for now, enjoy reliving the moment it all became real for Clem as he swept aside Serral’s remaining forces and claimed the $400,000 prize for himself.

8. A 35-years-old FGC vet proves he has STILL got it

Xiao Hai is one of the greatest FGC players to ever live. He cut his teeth on King of Fighters, and has played countless pro matches in a variety of FGC titles for years. But coming into EWC: Street Fighter 6, no one was taking him seriously. Afterall, he’s 35, an old man in esports years. Or so they thought.

But at EWC, Xiao Hai proved that he still has what it takes to be a champion, being the entire field of players who were all at least 10 years younger than him. He didn’t just prove that he can do it, he showed that with dedication and belief in oneself you can be a champion at any age.

Watch his unforgettable, Championship-winning combo against Kawano, as the magnitude of his win dawns on Xiao Hai’s face. What an actual legend.

7. Omega Empress crush Gaimin Gladiators to stay alive in ML:BB

Speaking of legends in the making, Omega Empress are the new rulers of women’s Mobile Legends: Bang Bang after pulling off a huge upset over long-time top dogs of the sport, Team Vitality. These women didn’t just win against Vitality either, they embarrassed them in the Grand Finals, winning the Championship in a clean 3-0 sweep.

In fact, only one team came close to eliminating them — Gaimin Gladiators in the Quarterfinals. Down one map, in a do or die situation, Omega Empress had to win Map 2. They dug down deep in the final teamfight, pressing their advantage in GG’s base to force Map 3 and eventually a series win. They would go on to win the tournament, and this teamfight was arguably the most pivotal moment during their run to the top of women’s ML:BB.

6. Team Redline bump drafts their way to the lead in EWC: ESL R1

Sim racing is cool, because sometimes you can do something in a sim race that would in theory work in real life, but would be far too dangerous, destructive, or expensive to pull off. And that was certainly the case during EWC: EWL R1’s second race.

During Race 2 the eventual winner of the tournament, Team Redline, decided to do something unorthodox in-real life, but more common in sim racing: Bump draft. This is where a car intentionally rams into the car in front of them, causing both cars to go faster.

Mouz Esports Benecke was in the lead, with Team Redlines Job and Bennette a half second behind. Job caught the draft of Benecke, and without hesitation went for the pass, aided by Bennet’s bump draft he was flung into the lead. A very cool moment during a very cool event.

Check out this incredible moment for yourself!

5. The longest Apex Legends match in history comes to a close

The Esports World Cup: Apex Legends history as the longest Apex Legends pro match ever. This match went an astonishing 7-hours and 13 games before finally deciding a winner: Alliance. Heading into the event, Alliance was criticized as being a midfield team, always the bridesmaid and never the bride. But they proved everyone wrong by winning the final match and qualifying past 12 other teams who were also on match point.

Relive the intense final moments of the longest Apex Legends match ever.

4. Toronto Ultra Secure the cross-map overtime W in Overwatch 2

Crazy Racoons won the EWC OW2, but the most memorable moment goes to their opponent in the Grand Finals — Toronto Ultra.

During the Grand Finals, Ultra was losing a Push map badly. They found themselves with the clock ticking down, and the bot on the complete wrong side of the map and nearly no progress having been made on their side. Despite this situation though, Ultra somehow turned it around and started winning teamfights.

All Crazy Racoons needed was a single teamfight win, but they weren’t gonna get it. Ultra won three team fights in a row, pushing the bot all the way to the other side of the map to claim the win and stay alive. They went on to lose the series, but their comeback win was still the highlight of the tournament!

3. Team Falcons snipe Usher’s throne at Dota 2 Riyadh Masters

Team Falcons were the EWC 2024 Club Champions, and one of their top performing teams at the EWC was their Dota 2 team, who took third place at Riyadh Masters x Esports World Cup. They were perhaps most impressive in their Lower-bracket semifinal win against Tundra, a 2-0 blitz that brought down the house in Riyadh.

The very best moment of that match, and one of the best moments of the tournament, came at the end of this series. Winning a teamfight in Tundra base, they made the call to focus on the objective instead of eliminations, heisting the throne right out from underneath Tundra. While they went on to lose the Loser-Bracket final, nevertheless they can cherish this victorious moment forever.

2. M0nesy shows us why he is the best CS2 player in the world

G2 may not have won the EWC CS2 Grand Finals against NAVI, but G2 AWPer Monesy did leave quite an impression on the EWC stage. Specifically, during Map 1 of the Grand Finals, he pulled off one of the most dynamic CS2 plays we have seen in pro competition thus far.

He was in a 1v3 situation, with the bomb and an AWP. With no time to rotate, he was committed to pushing B-main on Ancient and his opponents knew that. Despite that fact, he secured a nutty wallbang kill with the AWP, before picking up a rifle. He won his next duel around the corner and planted the bomb.

Rather than wait, he immediately challenged the final NAVI player and won, securing a big overtime round for G2.

1. Faker wins the EWC League Of Legends MVP

T1 won the inaugural EWC LOL championship against TES, led by the GOAT himself Faker. TES took the first map of the Grand Finals, so Faker adapted, going back to his signature legend Ahri for Map 2 and from there it was all over.

Oner, Gumayusi, and Faker dominated the next three maps, ultimately earning themselves the first ever EWC League of Legends trophy. Check out the full recap now to relive Faker’s glorious EWC performance!