Esports World Cup 2026 week 1 recap with 100 Thieves, UNLIMIT & DarkAngel crowned champions
(Courtesy : Esports World Cup 2026, 100 Thieves)
Opening week saw 100 Thieves claim the VALORANT title, UNLIMIT stage a dramatic comeback to win the Apex Legends trophy, while NAVI’s DarkAngel secured an emotional maiden Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves championship
Week 1 of The Esports World Cup 2026 (EWC) is in the books and the first three trophies have been claimed. Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves kicked off the championship proceedings on Saturday, followed by an epic Apex Legends final before VALORANT closed out the week with an incredible all-American clash.
The first trophy of EWC 2026 went to Luis Guadalupe “DarkAngel” Castillo Gomez who claimed a memorable victory in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, finally lifting his first major trophy in the game after multiple close calls.
DarkAngel placed third at EWC last year, sitting behind two EWC champions, Goichi “GO1” Kishida and Zeng “Xiao Hai” Zhuojun. However, this year the former withdrew from the competition due to health issues, while the latter was knocked out before the top 16, opening the door for DarkAngel to seize his opportunity.
He took down Virtus.Pro’s Kenta “mi2ha4” Ichihara 4-1 in the grand final, and was immediately overcome with emotion having achieved his dream of lifting a trophy. He then became the first player to have his name engraved on the EWC Totem, officially kicking off the 2026 championship race.
“I’m extremely happy and extremely grateful, thank you for my team NAVI, and everyone in Latin America that follows me and supports me,” Luis Guadalupe “DarkAngel” Castillo Gomez said following his triumph. “I’ve learned a lot through every single person who has played with me, from the wins, from the losses. Thank you to everyone who has ever helped me, even though you are not in my team specifically, I have always learned from them, and I’m extremely grateful.”
Incredible showdown in Apex Legends
In Apex Legends, Japanese squad UNLIMIT, consisting of Yulariman, Xtsuvi, and Peace, pulled off an incredible heist in the match point finals at the ALGS Year 6 Split 1 Playoffs at Esports World Cup 2026.
In the first six games of the final, they failed to place above 9th in any match, and were essentially seen as out of contention once other teams started to hit match point.
However, across the final four games, UNLIMIT won three of them, extending the tournament and denying others a shot at the championship. In the dying moments of game 10, they faced off against ZETA DIVISION, another team on match point, with the winner guaranteed to lift the trophy.
In the end, it was Peace who took down the final ZETA DIVISION players to claim the victory, kicking off emotional celebrations from the team.
Peace was awarded the Sony MVP award for his performance across the tournament. He racked up 39 finishes, 35 assists, and 50 knockouts throughout his journey.
“I thought this was a dream at first, after winning the last game, but the dream came true,” said Peace of UNLIMIT. “I appreciate everyone that supported me, my family, my friends, UNLIMIT staff. I appreciate everyone, thank you very much.”
100 Thieves won first VALORANT title
Closing out the opening week, 100 Thieves took the win in VALORANT at EWC 2026, marking the first time the Club has lifted an international trophy in the game. For veteran Peter “Asuna” Mazuryk, who has been with the Club since he was 17, this moment was a payoff for over five years of grinding as part of the 100 Thieves team.
Through good times and bad, multiple rosters and a few close calls, Asuna has stuck with 100 Thieves and after building a hot new roster featuring some exciting rookies for 2026, he has finally lifted his first major trophy.
100 Thieves were undefeated in the competition, taking down the likes of Rex Regum Queon, BBL Esports, MIBR.LOS and Nongshim RedForce. In the final, they defeated local rivals and reigning world champions NRG 3-1, securing the decisive round in overtime.
Matthew “Cryocells” Panganiban was awarded the Sony MVP award for his performance throughout the tournament, capped off by a huge 65 kill/25 assists performance in the finals versus NRG.
Conclusion
While three champions have already been crowned, the action continues in Dota 2. With the group stage now wrapped up, some teams are preparing to battle for their tournament lives in the survival stage, while others have a few days off to prepare for the playoffs after topping their groups.
Team Falcons, PVISION, and Team Yandex have all been top contenders this season, so taking the lead in their groups comes as no surprise. But in Group B, Nigma Galaxy managed to take down some big names to secure a playoff place, despite having a difficult 25/26 season so far.
The battle for the Club Championship has also begun. Clubs must finish in the top eight of at least two titles to qualify for the Club Championship standings, and after Week 1 only a single Club has met that requirement.
Hometown favourites Team Vitality are the only Club officially on the Club Championship table with top five finishes in both VALORANT and Fatal Fury: CotW giving them a total of 400 points. However, should the likes of NAVI or 100 Thieves take another victory in Week 2, they would jump up the standings after their opening week success.
Who won the VALORANT tournament at Esports World Cup 2026?
100 Thieves won the VALORANT title at EWC 2026 after defeating NRG 3-1 in the grand final. It marks the organization’s first-ever international VALORANT championship.
Who won the Apex Legends event at Esports World Cup 2026?
Japanese team UNLIMIT, consisting of Yulariman, Xtsuvi, and Peace, won the Apex Legends ALGS Year 6 Split 1 Playoffs after a dramatic comeback in the Match Point Finals.
Who became the Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves champion?
Luis Guadalupe “DarkAngel” Castillo Gomez of NAVI won the Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves tournament by defeating Virtus.Pro’s mi2ha4 4-1 in the grand final.
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Mahaksh Chauhan is a passionate gaming journalist who loves for old-school RPGs and turn-based games. With a keen eye for storytelling and a deep understanding of game mechanics, Mahaksh brings an unique perspective to the world of gaming. Inspired by classics like Persona, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Skyrim, Mahaksh is dedicated in sharing the magic of games with readers. When not writing or gaming, Mahaksh can be found cheering on WWE superstars or watching his favourite Anime.