Esports World Cup 2025: GO1 Crowned Champion of Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves

The Esports World Cup 2025 (EWC) officially kicked off in July 2025, bringing together a wide array of competitive game titles in what’s being hailed as one of the biggest esports events of the year. Among the featured titles in the Fighting Games category is Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves (CoTW) — the latest installment in the legendary fighting game series.

The Fatal Fury tournament was held from July 10–12, acting as a major promotional platform for SNK, the game’s developer, and serving as the first major circuit event for FF:CoTW leading up to the SNK Championship Series Finals at the end of 2025.

A Global Battle for $1 Million

The EWC Fatal Fury qualifiers began back in May 2025, starting with EVO Japan 2025. Over the course of three months, top players from around the world battled for one of 16 coveted spots in the main event, where they would compete for a total prize pool of $1 million.

After three days of intense competition, the EWC 2025 Fatal Fury CoTW champion was crowned — and the title went to none other than GO1, representing Japan and playing under DetonatioN FocusMe (DFM).

GO1’s Comeback and Redemption Story

GO1 is widely known in the fighting game community for his exceptional achievements in titles such as Melty Blood, Guilty Gear, BlazBlue, Under Night In-Birth, Street Fighter, and most notably Dragon Ball FighterZ, where he built a dominant legacy.

However, after a performance dip between 2023 and 2024, GO1 decided to shift focus in 2025, fully committing to Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.

His journey at the EWC was nothing short of spectacular. He dominated the group stage and playoffs, earning a spot in the Grand Final — where he faced off against the tournament favorite: Xiaohai.

Clash of Titans: GO1 vs. Xiaohai

Xiaohai is regarded as one of the greatest King of Fighters (KoF) players in the world. Given the close ties between KoF and Fatal Fury — in terms of characters and mechanics — many KoF veterans have transitioned smoothly into FF:CoTW, and Xiaohai was expected to dominate.

Having ruled both KoF and Fatal Fury circuits for years, Xiaohai entered the EWC as the heavy favorite to win the inaugural title.

But in a surprising turn, the Grand Final was an absolute nail-biter. Xiaohai started strong, taking a 2–0 lead. GO1, however, adjusted mid-set, tying the score 2–2. Xiaohai managed to edge ahead again in Game 5, but GO1 fully adapted in the later rounds, winning three straight games to close out the set 5–3.

A Historic Victory

With this victory, GO1 secured $300,000 in prize money and earned the honor of being the first-ever EWC Fatal Fury: CoTW champion. More than just the prize, GO1’s win marked a major shift in the competitive landscape by breaking Xiaohai’s longstanding dominance in SNK’s fighting game ecosystem.

EWC 2025 Fatal Fury CoTW – Top 8 Standings

Here are the final rankings from the Fatal Fury CoTW tournament at EWC 2025:

1. GO1 🇯🇵

2. Xiaohai 🇨🇳

3. DarkAngel 🇺🇸

4. mok 🇰🇷
   5–8. RB, Fenritti, ET, xyzzy