Summary
- Honor of Kings World Cup (KWC) 2025 in EWC will hold its Playoffs on July 23, 2025.
- Eight teams will compete in this final stage, all hungry for the glory of winning the inaugural Honor of Kings global tournament.
- Played in an intense single-bracket, viewers can expect each contender to give it all they’ve got to stay alive in the Playoffs.
We’re getting closer to naming the first-ever Honor of Kings World Cup (KWC) champions. Out of 18 teams, only 8 have made it to the final stage, keeping championship dreams alive. The KWC 2025 Playoffs will run from July 23-26, with high-stakes matches leading to the grand finals.
Which team do you think will wear the crown in Riyadh?
Quick Recap: Group Kings and Last Chance Results
Before the KWC 2025 Playoffs, teams who advanced from the Group Stage entered either of two middle stages. First, the Group Kings stage, where the 1st place teams of their respective groups battled each other for Playoffs seeding. Then, the group runners up were drawn into the Last Chance qualifier bracket, which determined which two teams deserve to book last-minute Playoffs spots.
Meanwhile, sitting comfortably with guaranteed higher seedings are AG.AL and TT Global. AG.AL earned their spot through winning the KPL Championship, while TT Global qualified as champions of the ACL.
Group Kings Results
For Group Kings, the two winning teams were guaranteed a higher Playoffs position in the “Upper 4”, which includes AG.AL and TT Global. Meanwhile, the losing teams maintain their spot, although they’ll start in the “Lower 4” instead. All matches in this stage were best-of-threes (Bo3)
Here are the results of the KWC 2025 Playoffs Group Kings stage:
PawsG vs A7
- Winner: PawsG
- Score: 2-1
Nova Esports vs OG
- Winner: Nova Esports
- Score: 2-1
Last Chance Results
Somehow, the Last Chance qualifier proved to be more intense, as losing teams in this stage faced elimination. For the winning teams, on the other hand, it meant landing in the final spots in the Lower 4.
Here’s the result of every match, which are all Bo5s:
Team Vitality vs Gen.G Esports
- Winner: Team Vitality
- Score: 3-1
Twisted Minds vs Alpha Gaming
- Winner: Twisted Minds
- Score: 3-1
Full List of Eliminated and Remaining Teams
| Qualified to Playoffs | Eliminated |
| AG.AL (KPL Spring Champions)
TT Global (ACL Champions) PawsG (Group Kings – Upper 4) Nova Esports (Group Kings – Upper 4) Team Vitality (Group Kings-Lower 4) Twisted Minds (Group Kings – Lower 4) OG (Last Chance qualifier) Alpha7 Esports (Last Chance qualifier) |
A.C.T. Esports Club
Kagendra Loops Blacklist International Nongshim RedForce Black Shrew Esport Dominator Esports BOOM Esports Alpha Gaming Gen.G Esports |
KWC 2025 Playoffs: Teams, Format, and Schedule
Only eight teams now remain in the KWC 2025 playoffs. Now, they’ll surely fight tooth-and-nail to advance in the ruthless single-bracket format. A loss means sure elimination, but a win is another step closer to the grand prize. Every series is played best-of-seven, with plenty room for surprises and comebacks. However, there’s an exception which is the third-place match, played Bo5. From July 23 to 26, all eyes will be on which teams will fall along the way, and which one will prove their way to the very top.
Here’s the Playoffs schedule:
Playoff Stage – Quarterfinals Matchups
| Date | Time | Teams and Matchup |
| July 23 | 11:00 AM CET | PawsG vs Twisted Minds |
| 2:30 PM CET | Nova Esports vs OG | |
| July 24 | 12:00 PM CET | TT Global vs Team Vitality |
| 3:30 PM CET | AG.AL vs Alpha7 Esports |
The semifinals will take place on July 25th, with the first match at 11:00 AM CET and the second at 2:30 PM CET. On July 26, the third-place decider match will be played at 10:00 AM CET. Then, the top two remaining teams will face-off at 3:00 PM CET on the same day for the long-awaited Grand Finals.
Current Standings
A grand prize of $750,000 USD awaits the champions of this inaugural Honor of Kings tournament. Part of the larger Esports World Cup in Riyadh, the rewards also include EWC Club Points, which can contribute to the overall standing of participating organizations.
As the KWC 2025 Playoffs continue to heat up, here are the current standings of every team along with the prize distribution:
- 1st Place: $750,000 + 1,000 Club Points – TBD
- 2nd Place: $460,000 + 750 Club Points – TBD
- 3rd Place: $310,000 + 500 Club Points – TBD
- 4th Place: $200,000 + 300 Club Points – TBD
- 5th-8th Places: $130,000 each + 200 Points – TBD
- 9th-10th Places: $100,000 each – Alpha Gaming, Gen.G Esports
- 11th-14th Places: $80,000 each – Nongshim RedForce, Black Shrew Esport, Dominator Esports, BOOM Esports
- 15th-18th Places: $60,000 each – A.C.T. Esports Club, Kagendra, Loops, Blacklist International
Conclusion
KWC 2025 is getting closer to crowning its first champion! Between 8 teams duking it out in the competition’s last stage, who do you think has the strength and skill to go home with the championship? Follow the matches happening from July 23-26, in the KWC 2025 Playoffs to witness an incredible conclusion to this historic HoK event.
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