Thunderpick World Championship 2025 Viewer Guide: Schedule, Format and Prize Pool

The Thunderpick World Championship 2025 kicks off on October 15. This short but intense tournament will run until October 19, bringing together eight teams in Malta to battle for the championship title and a $200,000 winner’s prize. The total prize pool amounts to $850,000, with $340,000 going to players and $510,000 to organizations. In this Thunderpick World Championship 2025 Viewer Guide, we’ll go over the tournament format, the teams’ current form, and their chances of lifting the trophy.

Format and Schedule

The Thunderpick World Championship 2025 will take place on sunny Malta from October 15 to 19. The Group Stage will use a two double-elimination format (two groups of four teams each), with all matches played in best-of-three (Bo3) format.

The Playoffs begin on October 18, featuring the top four teams from the groups in a single-elimination bracket, with all matches—including the Grand Final—played in Bo3 format.

Participating Teams

In just a few days, the Thunderpick World Championship 2025 will gather eight teams of varying levels. From well-known names like The MongolZ, NAVI, Aurora, FURIA to Team Venom and 9z Team, every squad aims to claim the title. Here’s a look at their recent form and achievements.

The MongolZ

The Mongolian powerhouse has been delivering impressive results this season. They reached the Grand Final of BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, finishing 2nd after a close 2–1 loss to Vitality. At IEM Cologne 2025, they placed 5th–6th, slightly below expectations. However, they claimed silver medals at both BLAST Bounty Fall 2025 and FISSURE Playground #2.

Their crowning achievement came at the Esports World Cup 2025, where they stunned the world by winning the championship title and $500,000.

Despite finishing 9th–11th at ESL Pro League S22, The MongolZ remain in great form—dangerous, confident, and capable of beating any opponent on their day.

NAVI

The Ukrainian giants have had a mixed season. They finished 5th–8th at BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, below expectations for such a storied team. Their results at BLAST Bounty Fall 2025: Closed Qualifier and Esports World Cup 2025 were disappointing (9th–16th place).

These struggles coincided with a roster change—Justinas “jL” Lekavičius left in July, replaced by Drin “makazze” Shaqiri from NAVI Junior, requiring time to rebuild chemistry and structure.

Still, NAVI bounced back to win StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2025, defeating NiP 2–0 in the final.At ESL Pro League S22, they reached the quarterfinals but fell to MOUZ, placing 5th–8th.Even if not in peak form, NAVI remain dangerous dark horses—a team that can always surprise when it matters most.

FURIA

The Brazilian roster, strengthened by molodoy and YEKINDAR in April, has seen a resurgence in 2025. Their chemistry and timing paid off: They reached the quarterfinals at BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, losing 2–1 to paiN in a Brazilian derby.

Subsequent results include:

• FISSURE Playground #1 – 9–11th place
• IEM Cologne 2025 – 5–6th place
• BLAST Open Fall 2025 – 3–4th place
• ESL Pro League S22 – 5–8th place

Their biggest triumph came at FISSURE Playground #2, defeating The MongolZ 3–2 in the Grand Final. The revamped lineup has clearly elevated FURIA ’s game, turning them into a top contender on the global stage.

Aurora Gaming

The Turkish team hasn’t reached the same heights as its competitors yet. They placed 12–14th at BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 and 9–12th at IEM Cologne 2025. Better results followed at BLAST Bounty Fall 2025 and FISSURE Playground #2, where they finished 5–8th.

Aurora ’s breakthrough came at the Esports World Cup 2025, claiming 2nd place after falling 0–3 to The MongolZ. With stars like XANTARES and woxic, Aurora remain a volatile but dangerous team—capable of turning any match in their favor.

Imperial Esports

The Brazilian squad earned their ticket to Malta through closed qualifiers. They’ve mostly competed at tier-2 events, with limited success. Their main highlight this year is a 2nd place at FERJEE Rush 2025, netting $5,635.

For Imperial, this tournament is a valuable chance to prove themselves on the international stage. While it won’t be easy, history shows that underdogs can achieve the impossible, and Imperial will hope to be one of them.

Venom Team

The Polish lineup qualified by winning closed qualifiers, defeating Nemiga and NiP—an impressive feat that demonstrates their ability to challenge stronger teams. Venom Team usually compete in tier-2 and tier-3 events, without notable results so far. However, Thunderpick World Championship 2025 offers a golden opportunity for them to make a name for themselves and show their true potential.

9z Team

The Argentine squad has had a decent season on the tier-2 circuit, with several solid finishes:

• Thunderpick WC 2025: South American Series #2 – 1st place
• CCT S3 South American Series #2 – 2nd place
• CCT S3 South American Series #3 – 2nd place
• ESL Challenger League S50: South America – Cup #1 – 2nd place
• Odyssey Cup Champions 2025 – 1st place

While not yet on par with tier-1 teams, 9z have earned their spot through consistency. Now, they must prove they can compete with the elite.

OG

The Danish squad has yet to make major headlines this season. They finished 23rd–24th at BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, but managed to win CCT S3 European Series #4 and DraculaN #2. Though modest in results, OG still have the talent to push stronger teams and could turn heads if they find their rhythm in Malta.

Favorites and Dark Horses of Thunderpick World Championship 2025

The clear favorites heading into the event are FURIA, NAVI, and The MongolZ — all teams with proven consistency, experience, and recent success. They’re expected to lead the charge for the title.

Meanwhile, OG, Imperial, and Aurora could serve as potential dark horses. While not typical contenders, they each have the firepower and unpredictability to cause upsets and steal crucial maps from the favorites. If they manage to build momentum early, they could very well shake up the playoff race.