Notable Stories of EWC 26 Week 5

PUBG Mobile at EWC 26

Group Stage

Turkish teams will have plenty of representation as the PUBG Mobile World Cup heads into the finals, with both IDA Esports and S2G Esports securing top-five finishes in Group B. IDA delivered a dominant second day, scoring three Chicken Dinners and 108 points to finish within striking distance of top seed Team Vitality. S2G, meanwhile, bounced back from a difficult opening day with a consistently strong performance, earning two second-place finishes before securing its playoff spot in the final game of the day. With two Turkish squads breaking through to the finals, it marks a major milestone for Turkish PUBG Mobile.

Chess at EWC 26

Last Chance Qualifiers

The Chess LCQ delivered a unique family storyline as Malcolm Pein, Honorary Vice President of the European Chess Union, competed alongside his son and fellow FIDE Master Jonathan Pein. The International Master fell short in Group B, with Jonathan also missing out on advancing. Both results highlighted the depth of the field, with even highly experienced and titled players unable to break through the competitive LCQ.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 at EWC 26

Playoffs

Ahead of the CoD: Black Ops 7 Finals, Sunday delivered another chapter in the ongoing rivalry between Team Heretics and Team Falcons as the pair clashed in a heated grudge match that saw tensions spill off the screen. After a dominant 4-0 sweep of Falcons, David “RenKoR” Isern rushed over to McArthur “Cellium” Jovel, getting in his face and talking trash before Cellium pushed him away. The fiery exchange underscored just how much pride is on the line whenever these two clubs meet.

Rainbow 6 Siege at EWC 26

Play-Ins & Group Stage

The first day of the R6 Siege Play-In stage ran late into the night as Al-Ula Club, who battled through the MENA qualifier to reach EWC 26, pulled off one of the event’s biggest comebacks. After getting crushed 7-1 in the opening match against Australia’s Chiefs EC, Al-Ula responded with back-to-back 8-7 overtime wins to complete the upset.

While Al-Ula ultimately couldn’t carry the run any further, the comeback was a statement from a team punching above its weight on the international stage.