Serral Returns to the Top of StarCraft II with Victory at the Esports World Cup 2025
The King is back on the throne once more! Joona "Serral" Sotala put on a dominant performance at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025, capping off his journey with a victory over Kim "Classic" Doh-woo in the Grand Finals to become your new StarCraft II World Champion.
Serral Is Back to the Top!
Despite his unrivaled legacy in StarCraft II, 2025 had not been Serral's year so far. Just two months ago, the Finnish player's path at DreamHack Dallas came to a disappointing end in the Quarterfinals at the hands of none other than Classic himself. Now, at the EWC 2025, Serral was determined to prove he's still the best of the best.
Exacting Revenge over Classic
Serral began his journey at the EWC by breezing through Group B to qualify for the Playoffs without dropping a single game in the process, including a 3-0 victory over Classic. The player's toughest challenge perhaps came during the Quarterfinals, though, where Serral only just managed to defeat Riccardo "Reynor" Romiti in a hard-fought ZvZ battle.
After sweeping Kim "Cure" Doh-wook in the Semifinals, Serral would have to face off against the very same Protoss player that eliminated him from DreamHack Dallas for the final match of the EWC 2025. Eager to complete his revenge, Serral looked in control of the match throughout, ultimately securing the 5-2 victory in the Grand Finals over Classic to become a the 2025 StarCraft II World Champion.
EWC 2025 Viewership: StarCraft II on the Rise
The Grand Finals between Serral and Classic saw a peak of nearly 80 thousand viewers tune in to catch the action. This makes the Esports World Cup 2025 the most viewed StarCraft II tournament since 2021, as per Esports Charts.
Credit: Esports ChartsThese figures also indicate roughly a 30% increase in viewership compared to last year's Esports World Cup (2024).
While the tournament surely benefitted from having one finalist from each of the two biggest regions in StarCraft II esports (Europe and South Korea), the latest viewership numbers serve to demonstrate the lasting loyalty of SC2 fans all over the world.
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Feature image credit: Esports World Cup
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