The first-ever Esports World Cup (EWC) VALORANT Grand Final was really something, ending with Team Heretics doing a pretty unexpected reverse sweep over Fnatic. That marked the end of a tournament full of high-stakes moments and growing buzz around the world. The final match pulled in 451,943 viewers at once, which ended up making it the 5th most-watched VALORANT tournament in 2025 until now.
EWC’s Position Among 2025’s Top VALORANT Events
Taking place in Riyadh, the VALORANT part of EWC was held for six days. During that time, it managed an average of 163,750 concurrent viewers, with over 8.29 million total watch hours logged from about 50 hours’ worth of streaming (as per Esports Charts). The grand final gave fans a five-map thriller, where Heretics finally got rid of their finals losing streak by coming back 3–2. The final game had the most eyes, but the semi-finals were also pulling huge interest:
Image via Esports World Cup
- Fnatic vs Paper Rex: 340,210 peak viewers
- Team Heretics vs Gen.G: 275,738 peak viewers
For now, Riot’s own events still got the top places. Masters Bangkok and Toronto had both gone past the 1 million mark in peak viewers. Even some regional leagues like VCT Americas Kickoff (553,841) and Pacific Stage 1 (460,073) had done better than EWC.
| Rank | Tournament | Type | Peak Viewers |
| 1 | Masters Bangkok | Global | 1,319,067 |
| 2 | Masters Toronto | Global | 1,116,589 |
| 3 | VCT Americas Kickoff | Regional | 553,841 |
| 4 | VCT Pacific Stage 1 | Regional | 460,073 |
| 5 | EWC VALORANT | Global | 451,943 |
Even though EWC VALORANT didn’t top the charts, it proved it can pull in good viewership numbers and give fans serious action. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. The event actually overlapped with other big esports tournaments, like the BLAST.tv Austin Major, which probably split up some of the audience.
Controversy Overpowers the Stats
Image via Esports Charts
Despite strong metrics, EWC VALORANT stirred significant controversy. The event’s funding by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has lots of criticism. Some even calling it an example of sportswashing rather than a celebration of esports.
Prominent voices in the community, such as caster Josh “Sideshow” Wilkinson, urged fans to boycott the event. In January, Sideshow’s video condemning the tournament went viral. Echoing the sentiment, one viewer on X (formerly Twitter) wrote: “The EWC (for VALORANT at least) has to be one of the worst events I’ve ever spent any time watching…”
Adding to the controversy, several prominent streamers and broadcast talent opted out. While notable figures like tarik, FNS, and mixwell participated, others, including ex-pro TenZ, chose not to engage—highlighting the division in the VALORANT scene.
In the end, EWC VALORANT’s debut was as flashy as it was polarizing. It delivered top-tier production and moments of genuine competition, but also arrived with heavy baggage—political scrutiny and a notable absence of key community voices.
