A Fighting Games legend secured the victory in a match decided by the narrowest of margins against Blaz, the standout star of the competition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Zeng “Xiao Hai” Zhuojun is the two-time EWC SF6 2025 champion. The Fighting Games legend secured his circuit victory in a nail-biting confrontation against Derek “Blaz,” a Chilean prodigy representing 2GAME Esports, a Brazilian organization, and the breakout star of the Capcom game’s tournament held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Players’ Path to the EWC SF6 2025 Final
Xiaohai began his journey to the two-time championship in Group E during the first phase of the EWC, defeating the American Victor “Punk” Woodley 3-2 in his debut and Japan’s “Kakeru” Watanabe 3-1 in the match that decided a spot in the knockout stage. Blaz, for his part, made history by defeating great players like Japan’s Goichi “GO1” Kishida and his countryman Jaime “Craime” Bustos in Group H, both by a score of 3-0.
In the final stage, Xiaohai eliminated Japan’s Torimeshi in the Round of 16 and GO1 in the quarterfinals, both by 5-2. In the semifinals, he knocked out Amjad “AngryBird” Al-Shalabi from the UAE with a 5-1 score, reaching his second consecutive EWC Street Fighter 6 final. Blaz, meanwhile, continued his historic run by defeating legends like Hiromiki “Itabashi Zangief” Kumada 5-0 in the Round of 16, the 2024 world champion YHC-Mochi 5-1, and South Korea’s Shin “Leshar” Moon-sup 5-3 in the semifinals.
An Electrifying Final Decided by Inches
Before the title match, AngryBird and Leshar faced off for third place, with the South Korean winning in a 5-4 comeback victory. In the final showdown, Blaz had an extraordinary start, with two 2-0 victories and a 2-1 win with Ryu against M. Bison, opening a 3-0 lead against Xiaohai.
The Chinese player’s reaction was immediate, tying the set 3-3 after bringing his Mai into the game (one 2-0 win and two 2-1 wins, with Blaz switching from Ryu to Ken). Blaz, after changing his character, came within one victory of the unprecedented title after securing the seventh game with a 2-1 win. But Xiaohai’s experience prevailed, securing the tie in the eighth game (2-1) and, in a finish decided by the slimmest of margins, completing the 5-4 reverse sweep to become the two-time EWC SF6 2025 champion.
Along with the title, Xiaohai also took home $250,000 in prize money, plus 1,000 EWC circuit points, securing the ninth overall ranking for his organization, KuaiShou Gaming, in the circuit standings. He also clinched a coveted spot for Capcom Cup 12. Blaz, with his unprecedented podium finish at the championship, earned $130,000.
