The fighting game scene has a new king. A Brazilian wins the KOF world championship in KOF XV for the first time. The historic achievement occurred at the SNK World Championship 2025. Laudelino “Lauyagami” Almeida Filho shocked the world this Sunday (2). The final was held in the United States, and the unprecedented title came home to Brazil.
Brazilian wins KOF World Championship against chinese legend

The grand final was a clash of titans. On one side, China’s Zeng “Xiao Hai” Zhuojun. He is a true living legend in fighting games. On the other, our representative, Laudelino “Lauyagami” Almeida Filho. The odds favored Xiaohai, who reached the Grand Final through the Winners Bracket.
But Lauyagami was determined. The idea of a Brazilian winning the KOF world championship seemed like a distant dream to many. Lauyagami, however, proved otherwise. Coming from the Losers Bracket, he had a double task. He needed to win two consecutive sets against the legend.
And he did it masterfully.
In the first set, Lauyagami dominated with a 3-0 score. This “reset” the bracket, as it’s called in the scene. This forced a second and decisive “true finals” set. In it, during a fierce and tense dispute, the Brazilian wins the KOF world championship with a 3-2 score. The victory was sealed in the United States, the stage for the SNK World Championship 2025 final.
The historic prize for Brazil

This title is not just symbolic. By becoming the Brazilian who won the KOF world championship in KOF XV, Lauyagami took home an astronomical prize. SNK awarded half a million dollars, $500,000 USD, to the grand champion.
This is one of the largest prizes ever seen in the history of The King of Fighters. The achievement definitively places Brazil at the top of the global competitive scene.
The Brazilian community celebrated intensely on social media. Seeing a Brazilian win the KOF world championship was a long-standing goal for our region. Lauyagami not only won but dethroned one of the biggest names in fighting game esports.
The flawless run through the “Losers Bracket”
The path to glory was not easy. The journey of the Brazilian who won the KOF world championship was marked by an incredible comeback. Lauyagami started the tournament well in the initial rounds. He defeated the Mexican players ViolentKain and PAKO, both 2-0.
The first major obstacle appeared in the winners’ quarters. The Brazilian fell to the Argentine KAISER666 by 2-1. The defeat sent him to the Losers Bracket. From that point on, any loss would mean elimination.
It was then that Lauyagami staged a historic “miracle run.” He cleaned out the losers bracket, defeating elite opponents. The saga began against South Korea’s Lacid, with a 2-1 victory. The confidence of the Brazilian who won the KOF world championship was visibly growing.
The revenge, qualification for the final, and the Brazilian who won the KOF world championship
In the decisive matches of the losers bracket, Lauyagami showed no mercy. He overcame the Japanese players mok and M’, both 2-1. Then came the anticipated rematch against the Argentine KAISER666, who had defeated him. Lauyagami returned the score: 2-1 and a spot in the losers’ final.
In the Losers Final, he faced the Mexican Lokof. In a tense set, Lauyagami won 3-2. Lokof had been defeated by Xiaohai in the winners’ final. This earned the Brazilian who won the KOF world championship the right to challenge the Chinese legend in the Grand Final.
Brazil also had another representative. Piter “PiterErn” Ernandis participated in the world finals. He finished the event in the top 28, a respectable position. Curiously, Piter had beaten Lauyagami in the final of Comitê Arena, a national event. Both are from the same team, Comitê Games, showing the strength of the Brazilian scene that now celebrates the Brazilian who won the KOF world championship.