The opening week of the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 concluded with three champions crowned across Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, Apex Legends and VALORANT, while the race for the Club Championship also got underway.
Luis Guadalupe “DarkAngel” Castillo Gomez became the first title winner of EWC 2026, ending years of near misses by lifting the Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves trophy.
Representing NAVI, DarkAngel defeated Virtus.Pro’s Kenta “mi2ha4” Ichihara 4-1 in the grand final to secure his maiden major title in the game. The victory marked a significant turnaround for DarkAngel, who had finished third in the previous edition of the tournament.
“I’m extremely happy and grateful. Thank you to my team NAVI and everyone in Latin America that follows me and supports me,” DarkAngel said after becoming the first player to have his name engraved on the EWC Totem.
In Apex Legends, Japanese trio UNLIMIT scripted one of the tournament’s most remarkable comebacks to win the ALGS Year 6 Split 1 Playoffs.
After failing to finish inside the top eight in any of the opening six games of the match-point finals, UNLIMIT looked out of contention as rival teams reached championship point. However, the squad of Yulariman, Xtsuvi and Peace stormed back by winning three of the final four games, extending the tournament and forcing a decisive 10th match.
In the final showdown, UNLIMIT defeated fellow match-point contender ZETA DIVISION, with Peace securing the final eliminations to seal the championship. His standout campaign earned him the MVP award after registering 39 finishes, 35 assists and 50 knockouts across the tournament.
“I thought this was a dream at first, after winning the last game, but the dream came true,” Peace said after the victory.
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The week’s final title went to 100 Thieves, which lifted its first international VALORANT trophy with a dominant campaign.
The North American side went unbeaten throughout the event, defeating Rex Regum Qeon, BBL Esports, MIBR.LOS and Nongshim RedForce before overcoming reigning world champion NRG 3-1 in an all-American final. The decisive map was secured in overtime.
The triumph was especially significant for veteran Peter “Asuna” Mazuryk, who finally secured his first major international title after more than five years with the club.
Teammate Matthew “Cryocells” Panganiban was named MVP for registering 65 kills and 25 assists in the grand final against NRG.
“It feels really good… I had many doubts throughout my career, but at the end of the day, never stop believing in yourself and the people around you,” Cryocells said.
The attention now shifts to Dota 2, where the group stage has concluded and teams are preparing for the survival stage and playoffs. Team Falcons, PVISION and Team Yandex topped their respective groups, while Nigma Galaxy emerged as one of the surprise performers by securing a playoff berth despite an inconsistent season.
The Club Championship standings have also begun to take shape. Clubs must record top-eight finishes in at least two titles to qualify, and after the opening week Team Vitality is the only organisation to have achieved the feat. Strong finishes in VALORANT and Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves have earned the French club 400 points, though teams such as NAVI and 100 Thieves could quickly climb the standings with another strong showing in Week 2.
Published on Jul 13, 2026
