Street Fighter 6 at 2025 Esports World Cup Champion: Xiaohai Back-To-Back

Champion vs. Prodigy. The grand finals of Street Fighter 6 at 2025 Esports World Cup saw the defending EWC 24 champion, Zeng “Xiaohai” Zhuojun, take on the 15-year-old Chilean prodigy Derek Blaz. With both competitors taking down some of the best players in the world on their journey to the finals, the set was expected to be brutally exciting.

In the end, the defending champion defeated the young prospect 5-4, capturing his back-to-back championship victory at EWC 25. With this victory, Xiaohai becomes the third competitor at EWC 25 to capture a two-peat.

Xiaohai’s journey to the finals

From his infamous premature pop-off 3-2 reverse sweep win against Victor “Punk” Woodley to earning revenge against his FATAL FURY: COTW at EWC 25 quarterfinals opponent Goichi “GO1” Kishida, Xiaohai has showcased adaptability, flexibility, and flawless execution in his gameplay.

However, his grand finals opponent, Blaz, proved to be no pushover. While Blaz’s career achievements pale in comparison to Xiaohai’s, his tournament run demonstrated that he has earned his place on the stage.

After advancing from his group without dropping a single game in the first phase, Blaz also defeated Hiromiki “Itabashi Zangief” Kumada, “YHC-Mochi,” and Shin “Leshar” Moon-sup on his way to the grand finals. His win against Leshar is particularly noteworthy, as Leshar had not placed lower than eighth in seven of eight tournaments in 2025.

A nail-biter to the finish.

The grand finals kicked off with the defending champion in control of M. Bison and the prodigy playing as Ryu. Blaz took an early lead in the set, winning three games, and by this point, Xiaohai knew he needed to adjust his strategy. He earned his first point in the set by switching to Mai Shiranui and maintained pressure on Blaz, even as Blaz switched from Ryu to Ken over the next two games to tie the set.

Blaz then picked up the next win to reach match point first. With his back against the wall, Xiaohai managed to clutch a critical game, putting himself on match point as well. The final round came down to the wire, and despite being behind on HP, Xiaohai executed a combo into Critical Art that sealed the victory.

With this championship win, Xiaohai not only took home $250,000 in prize money but also became the third competitor in EWC history to achieve a back-to-back championship victory.

Club Championship

Xiaohai’s championship victory at SF6 at EWC 25 earned 1,000 CC points for his club, KuaiShou Gaming. Combined with his runner-up finish at FATAL FURY: COTW at EWC 25, Xiaohai alone contributed 1,750 CC points to his team. KuaiShou Gaming has secured 9th place in the standings and will be taking home $700,000 from the Club Championship prize pool.

The final moments of the 2025 Esports World Cup are upon us. Don't miss the final few moments by tuning in to the official EWC YouTube and Twitch channels.