Aug 19, 2025.
The groups are set for Street Fighter 6 at EWC 25, where the champion will secure a spot at Capcom Cup 12, take home a quarter of a million dollars, and claim Esports World Cup glory. With a line-up stacked with the best players in the world, it’ll be sink or swim for the 48 competitors.
The term “Five Gods” refers to a legendary group of Japanese players who once reigned supreme across multiple fighting games. Two of them are present at the 2025 Esports World Cup, but only one has made it into the main event.
Daigo Umehara, perhaps the most iconic name in the scene, fell short in the Last Chance Qualifier. That leaves Hajime “Tokido” Taniguchi as the sole “god” to compete on the group stage in Riyadh.
Tokido’s path will not be easy. He has been drawn into a group with fellow Japanese stars YHC-Mochi and Hikaru Nakatani, along with U.S. contender Alan “Nephew” Sun. With a 2025 championship already secured at the Asian Champions League, Tokido enters the EWC with momentum and the weight of expectation as fans look to see just how far the veteran can go.
Street Fighter 6 at EWC 25 is so stacked that not just one, but two groups have already been dubbed groups of death.
What happens when you put two of the most successful Japanese Street Fighter players of all time, the only two-time Capcom Cup champion, and a star from the Last Chance Qualifier in the same group? Pure carnage.
Saul Leonardo “MenaRD” Mena II, a three-time EVO champion and the lone two-time Capcom Cup winner, will open against Michael “Riddles” Kim, best known for his Super Smash Bros. career, in a clash of styles to kick off the group. On the other side, Japanese legends Yusuke Momochi and Masaki Kawano, two of the nation’s most decorated Street Fighter players, will collide in their opening match.
MenaRD enters with a 2-0 head-to-head advantage over Riddles, defeating him 3-1 at Get On My Level 2023 and 2-1 at Get On My Level X. But questions remain: will Riddles score a massive upset in the opening phase? Will the reigning EVO 2025 champion breeze through the group? Or will Japanese dominance once again reign supreme at EWC 25?
The other group of death is stacked with champions. Defending EWC titleholder Zeng “Xiaohai” Zhuojun, EVO 2024 champion Victor “Punk” Woodley, and Capcom Cup 2025 champion Kakeru Watanabe headline the group. The opening matches are blockbuster affairs: Xiaohai vs. Punk, and Kakeru vs. Toru Tachikawa, who earned his spot in the main event with a top-six finish in the Last Chance Qualifier.
While Xiaohai and Kakeru both hold winning records against their respective opponents, Punk and Tachikawa, the sample size is far too small to make any reliable predictions. What is certain, however, is that two of these world-class players will be eliminated in the opening phase, ensuring that fans will witness some of the highest-level Street Fighter 6 competition in the world.
FGC professionals rarely stick to just one title, and those competing in Street Fighter 6 at EWC 25 are no exception. Goichi “GO1” Kishida, who earned his place in the main event with a fourth-place finish in the Last Chance Qualifier, could potentially square off against the defending champion, Xiaohai.
The last time these two met was in the grand final of Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves at EWC 25, where GO1 secured a 5-3 victory over Xiaohai. Now, the question remains: will the rivals meet again, this time on the Street Fighter 6 stage?
Fans of Capcom's premiere fighting game can now explore a special EWC Battle Hub in Street Fighter 6, available until August 31st. Players who visit can earn exclusive nameplates and make their predictions on who will claim the trophy following the conclusion of the Last Chance Qualifier. Jump into Street Fighter 6 today to experience the collaboration firsthand.
With dozens of matches taking place over the next week, new legends will rise as winners are crowned and rivals are toppled. Watch the Esports World Cup 2025 live or check out the ticket options to watch the games in person!
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© 2026 Esports World Cup All rights reserved.