Notable Stories of EWC 26 Week 6

EWC 26 featuring Rocket League

Group Stage and Playoffs

Three French representatives made headlines in Rocket League, delivering some unforgettable moments in front of the home crowd. Gentle Mates’ Archie Pickthall scored the fastest goal in EWC history against American club Five Fears, finding the net just one second into the match before Gentle Mates went on to claim the series.

The drama continued in the quarterfinals, where defending champions Karmine Corp faced hometown rivals Team Vitality. The French crowd turned out in force for the clash between two of the nation’s biggest Rocket League clubs, with Karmine Corp eventually edging Vitality 4-3 in a thrilling best-of-seven.

Chess at EWC 26

Third-place match

The final day of Chess at EWC 26 was overshadowed by controversy, as Team Falcons’ Alireza Firouzja withdrew from his series following a lengthy technical delay. After a string of uncharacteristic mistakes left him trailing 1-2, a technical issue delayed Game 4, prompting Firouzja to leave the stage and ultimately not return to finish the match. The win was awarded to his Team Falcons teammate Hikaru Nakamura via forfeit, bringing an unusual end to the series.

R6 Siege at EWC 26

Playoffs

EWC 25 champions Team Secret entered EWC 26 following a major roster rebuild, with three of the five players from their championship lineup departing the organization. Team Secret turned to a new group of European players, but the revamped roster struggled early, finishing 10th in the European and MENA League Stage 1.

Few expected the new-look Team Secret to make much noise in Paris, but the roster quickly defied expectations by defeating Team Falcons in the Group Stage. The victory was particularly notable given Falcons had acquired one of Secret’s former stars, Marc “jume” Steinmann. The Cinderella run eventually came to an end in the quarterfinals, where Geekay Esports eliminated Secret. The new roster exceeded expectations, but ultimately fell short of matching last year’s championship run.

PUBG Mobile World Cup at EWC 26

Grand Final

Tianba’s Zhang “Qzz” Qingbo was awarded the SONY MVP following the conclusion of the PMWC, but teammate Wang “MiLu” Bo also delivered a remarkable performance. MiLu was forced to leave the stage on a stretcher due to illness on Finals Day 1, but returned midway through Day 2 to help Tianba secure a strong finish. The team continued its resurgence on Day 3, ultimately finishing fifth