Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 at Esports World Cup 2025: Survival Guide

From Modern Warfare III to Black Ops 6

Call of Duty BO6 at EWC 25 will follow a group stage with four groups of four teams. From there, it’s an all-out brawl in a single-elimination bracket.

FaZe Clan enter as the reigning EWC champions, but after a disappointing championship showing earlier this year and a switch from Modern Warfare 3 to Black Ops 6, their grip on the crown doesn’t look too tight in an already unpredictable field.

Favorites, Challengers and question marks

Nearly all eyes will be on OpTic Gaming, who are coming off a dominant run at a previous major tournament where they only dropped three maps. Those maps, however, were all taken by the Vancouver Surge, another team entering EWC 25. The Canada-based squad has already made three grand final appearances this season, so Travis "Neptune" McCloud and team could make another deep run here. A third challenger could be Team Heretics, who have hovered just outside grand finals all year. If they can finally break through in Riyadh, it could be the crowning moment of their season.

Outside of the headliners, several squads enter EWC 2025 surrounded by question marks. G2 Esports, Gentle Mates, KOI, and Falcons all made roster moves following Champs. With the tournament wrapping up a little more than a month ago, and some of these teams making early exits, they've had ample time to build chemistry. KOI, in particular, looks to be unpredictable. The team and its new lineup show promise, but expectations remain uncertain.

Things heat up even further in the group stage, where Project 7, who picked up the former OMIT Brooklyn roster, find themselves facing off against the main OMIT squad, who look like the strongest Challengers team in the field. That Challengers squad will attempt to dismiss their old sister team and make their way into the playoffs bracket.

Every Challengers team will be looking to upset Call of Duty giants and prove they belong among the best. Several potential upset runs, along with the rest of the group stage action, will kick off on July 24 at 3 PM KSA.

One Club Championship contender

Most participating organizations are only fielding rosters in Call of Duty, meaning the impact of Call of Duty BO6 at EWC 25 on the overall Club Championship leaderboard is likely to be limited. One exception is the local Saudi organization Team Falcons.

Represented in more titles than any other club attending the event, the local organization will be looking to make the most of this week's opportunity in Riyadh as the only realistic contender for the Club Championship title, after falling short of expectations in earlier competitions.

With hundreds of matches set to take place over the next few days, new legends will rise as champions are crowned and rivals are toppled. Watch the Esports World Cup 2025 live or check out the ticket options to watch in-person this week!