Twisted Minds Are Your Call of Duty: Warzone at 2025 Esports World Cup Champions Following a Thrilling Finale

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (August 9, 2025) - Twisted Minds has won the Call of Duty: Warzone at 2025 Esports World Cup title, lifting the trophy after an epic 10-game finale. The win is the first major tournament victory for all three players on the roster, despite each of them having storied careers.

The victory is the crowning moment the Twisted Minds players have been working towards for years, with this being the first LAN win for all three members of the team, despite each of them having been at the top of the Warzone scene since its inception. Aydan "Aydan" Conrad, Riley "zSmit" Smith, and Benjamin "Almond" Rosendahl all placed on the podium at the inaugural Esports World Cup across two different teams, before building a new roster that has finally seen them take the top step.

Twisted Minds entered the event via the North American Qualifier as the fourth seed from the region. They had a strong showing in the group stage, finishing in third place and securing a spot in the final without having to play in the last chance stage.

The Saudi Arabian organisation came alive in the final, securing five top four finishes in the first six games to put them on match point. However, with teams targeting both them and Virtus.pro, who reached match point at the same time, it wasn’t until game 10 that Twisted Minds would secure the win they needed to lift the trophy.

Twisted Minds takes home the $250,000 first place prize, but for these three players, the opportunity to finally call themselves champions will surely be just as sweet.

“It’s my first LAN victory, you know, it means a lot to me,” said Aydan "Aydan" Conrad. “To have people in the stands watching, rooting for us, shout out to Twisted Minds and to everyone here, because without y’all, this is not possible without you guys. Thank you for making this the event it was.”

Riley "zSmit" Smith takes home the SONY MVP award, thanks to his in-game prowess and successful plays throughout the tournament. He will receive an additional $10,000 and the MVP medal as a result, a testament to his contributions.

“This is your goal, you start playing five years ago to win on the big stage, that’s where you want to be.” said Riley "zSmit" Smith. “I know right now this is the best team I've ever played with.”

Twisted Minds earn 1000 Club Championship points for their victory, which sends them into fifth place in the overall standings. They now sit just 200 points behind Virtus.pro, the side they stopped from gaining the full 1000 points in Warzone. With Twisted Minds still competing in five more titles in the next two weeks of the Esports World Cup, they could make a late charge for the Club Championship title.

Esports World Cup media contact:

press@worldcupfoundation.org