Get ready for an adrenaline-pumping showdown that could redefine the fighting game landscape— the SNK World Championship 2025 Finals are here, live and intense! Fans of classic arcade brawls are in for a treat as elite competitors clash in Atlanta, Georgia, at the iconic DreamHack Atlanta venue. But here's where it gets controversial: with millions in prizes on the line, is skill alone enough to crown a true champion, or do factors like strategy and luck play a bigger role than we think? And this is the part most people miss—the sheer scale of global talent means every match could spark debates on who deserves the throne. Stick around as we break down the action, update with live results, and explore why this event is more than just button-mashing mayhem.
We're updating this report in real-time with the latest outcomes straight from the battlefield. The championship kicks off at DreamHack Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, bringing together a who's who of fighting game legends. A vast array of skilled participants has earned spots across the featured titles, and we'll dive deep into the rosters shortly. For a quick taste of the talent, expect to see standout pros like Falcons' Xiaohai, DFM's Go1, Reject's Laggia, Falcons' E.T., CAG's Fenrich, CR's MadKOF, Reject's Score, Falcons' Tamago, Saishunkan's Nemo, ViolentKain, and QAD's Wero Asamiya dominating the weekend.
The event showcases four thrilling SNK franchises: Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, King of Fighters 15, Samurai Shodown, and Art of Fighting 3. Each boasts enormous reward pools, making the stakes sky-high. Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves tops the list with a staggering $2,500,000 in prizes, followed by King of Fighters 15's $1,000,000 pot. Samurai Shodown offers $500,000 to its warriors, while Art of Fighting 3, running as an unrestricted tournament unlike the others, doles out $100,000 in total. These are not just games; they're high-stakes spectacles where champions are forged.
To understand the journey, beginners might wonder how players qualify. Each of the three primary titles has hosted regional and international tournaments over the past year (or two in King of Fighters 15's case), sifting through thousands to select the best. Now, it's time to declare ultimate victors. Additionally, Last Chance Qualifiers (LCQs) will unfold on the event's opening day alongside the initial bracket rounds, giving underdogs one final shot to punch their way into the main event. For instance, imagine a local player who missed earlier chances suddenly qualifying through sheer determination—stories like that add heart to these competitions.
Let's spotlight the pre-qualified competitors to set the scene. For Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, the lineup includes DFM's Go1, Falcons' Xiaohai, CAG's Fenrich, T1's ZJZ, Navi's DarkAngel, Saishunkan's Nemo, GHZ's TheGio, Falcons' Xyzzy, Falcons' E.T., Dany "El Maza," Reject's Score, Falcons' Kindevu, WBG's Poongko, Falcons' AbuOmar, Falcons' Mok, Mi2ha4, Silva's DidimoKOF, WBG's Diaphone, MDJS-E's FReZZer, Reject's Laggia, Dai, VIT's CientifiKOF, SN's SoSickNashFan, K-Top, H-Dope, JF's Kaiser666, and ZEDI's Lokof. King of Fighters 15 boasts Falcons' Xiaohao, Falcons' E.T., ViolentKain, CR's MadKOF, ZEDI's Lokof, GHZ's TheGio, Falcons' Tamago, Lacid, Bubblan, Chawan, Falcons' Mok, JuanKOF, Comitê's Lauyagami, Nemesis' SarkUrien, Navi's DarkAngel, CDM's Rino, Sanwa's M', Nemesis' RocklandKyo, T1's ZJZ, QAD's Wero Asamiya, Pako, ADN-KOF, Daybreak, Sanwa's Syounen, Comitê's PiterErn, Layec, Koopatj, and Pangma. Samurai Shodown's roster features Reject's Score, Watanabe Shachou, Guppy, Masaton, Kanme's Tao, DG's Cipher, GPG's K2, Iwayou, Niceball, Rance, and XBF's Maki.
Due to some absences, extra LCQ openings have emerged: five for Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves and Samurai Shodown each, and four for King of Fighters 15. These qualifiers are buzzing with activity—Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves drew over 175 entrants, King of Fighters 15 more than 100, Samurai Shodown nearly 100, and the open Art of Fighting 3 bracket attracted over 130 hopefuls. If you're new to this, think of LCQs as the ultimate comeback story, where passion can outperform pedigree.
Catch all the drama on SNK Official's Twitch channel at https://www.twitch.tv/snkofficial or the Japanese feed at https://www.twitch.tv/snkofficial_jp. Now, let's jump into the live brackets and results, updated as matches conclude.
For Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves in the Top 32, the Winners Bracket features VIT's K-Top (Gato), VIT's CientifiKOF (Kain), a clash between Navi's DarkAngel (Terry) and Cyborg (Billy), T1's ZJZ (Hotaru), Mi2ha4 (Hotaru), Falcons' Tamago (Hotaru) versus DFM's Go1 (Kain), Dai (Hokutomaru) against KojiKOG (Billy), CAG's Fenrich (Kain), Saishunkan's Nemo (Billy) facing BS's Koopatj (Preecha), Falcons' AbuOmar (Dong Hwan) battling Kousei (Hotaru), Falcons' E.T. (Hokutomaru), Falcons' Xiaohai (Hotaru), WBG's Poongko (Gato), Reject's Laggia (Hotaru), Falcons' Xyzzy (Billy), and ZEDI's Lokof (Marco).
The Losers Bracket includes Silva's DidimoKOF (Hokutomaru) versus H-Dope (Billy, Salvatore), SN's SoSickNashFan (Hotaru), WBG's Diaphone (Ronaldo), Reject's Score (Hokutomaru), Comitê's Kaiser666 (Terry) against Falcons' Mok (Hokutomaru), GHZ's TheGio (Hokutomaru) versus Dany "El Maza" (Billy), and Falcons' Kindevu (Kain) facing MDJS-E's FReZZer (Hokutomaru).
First-round battle logs reveal intense action: WBG's Poongko (Gato) edged out Dany "El Maza" (Billy) 3-2. Mi2ha4 (Hotaru) dominated WBG's Diaphone (Ronaldo) 3-0. Falcons' E.T. (Hokutomaru) shut down Falcons' Mok (Hokutomaru) 3-0. Falcons' Xyzzy (Billy) triumphed over MDJS-E's FReZZer (Hokutomaru) 3-0. ZEDI's Lokof (Marco) bested Falcons' Kindevu (Kain) 3-1. Falcons' Xiaohai (Hotaru) outplayed Comitê's Kaiser666 (Terry) 3-0. VIT's K-Top (Gato) overcame H-Dope (Billy, Salvatore) 3-2. VIT's CientifiKOF (Kain) defeated Silva's DidimoKOF (Hokutomaru) 3-0. T1's ZJZ (Hotaru) handled SN's SoSickNashFan (Hotaru) 3-0. CAG's Fenrich (Kain) prevailed against Reject's Score (Hokutomaru) 3-1. Reject's Laggia (Hotaru) conquered GHZ's TheGio (Hokutomaru) 3-1. (View full battle log for more details.)
Moving to King of Fighters 15's Top 32, the Winners Bracket showcases Falcons' Mok (Shun'ei, Duo Lon, Kukri), Falcons' Xiaohai (Billy, Isla, Benimaru), BS's Koopatj versus Reject's Score (Orochi Yashiro, Chizuru, Heidern), Nemesis' RocklandKyo (Iori, Benimaru, Sylvie), MDC's JuanKOF (Shun'ei, Duo Lon, Isla), Sanwa's M' (Yashiro, Benimaru, Isla), CR's MadKOF (Sylvie, Heidern, Goenitz), Pangma (Kula, Dolores, Sylvie), CDM's Rino (Orochi Yashiro, Yashiro, Heidern), GHZ's TheGio (Blue Mary, Yuri, Isla), ZEDI's Lokof (Ryo, Yamazaki, Benimaru), QAD's Wero Asamiya against GHZ's Chino Funkey (Ralf, Clark, Heidern), Comitê's Lauyagami (Ángel, Hinako, Chizuru), KR's Pako (Hianko, Duo Lon, Chizuru), Navi's DarkAngel (Shun'ei, K', Isla), and Comitê's Kaiser666 (Ryo, Kyo, Terry) versus MDJS-E's FReZZer (Benimaru, Heidern, Isla).
The Losers Bracket pits Chawan (Shingo, Ramón, Ash) against SharkUrien (Billy, Benimaru, Sylvie), Falcons' Tamago (Rock, Blue Mary, Benimaru), Bubblan (Duo Lon, K', Ash | K', Kim, Ash) versus Sanwa's Syounen (Yashiro, Benimaru, Isla), Comitê's PiterErn (Duo Lon, Dolores, Isla) against Falcons' E.T. (Clark, Heidern, Isla), T1's ZJZ (Hinako, Nakoruru, Chizuru) versus Lacid (Meitenkun, Shermie, Ash), SXC's ADN-KOF (Yashiro, Ryo, Iori | Yashiro, Iori, Sylvie), ViolentKain (K', Rock, Ryo) facing Layec (Vice, Goenitz, Orochi Chris), and 777's Daybreak (Maxima, Gato, Rock | Andy, Gato, Rock).
First-round logs capture the drama: Sanwa's M' (Yashiro, Benimaru, Isla) swept Sanwa's Syounen (Yashiro, Benimaru, Isla) 2-0. Pangma (Kula, Dolores, Sylvie) defeated Falcons' E.T. (Clark, Heidern, Isla) 2-0. Falcons' Xiaohai (Billy, Isla, Benimaru) outmatched SharkUrien (Billy, Benimaru, Sylvie) 2-0. Navi's DarkAngel (Shun'ei, K', Isla) dominated 777's Daybreak (Maxima, Gato, Rock | Andy, Gato, Rock) 2-0. KR's Pako (Hianko, Duo Lon, Chizuru) bested Layec (Vice, Goenitz, Orochi Chris) 2-0. ZEDI's Lokof (Ryo, Yamazaki, Benimaru) triumphed over SXC's ADN-KOF (Yashiro, Ryo, Iori | Yashiro, Iori, Sylvie) 2-0. GHZ's TheGio (Blue Mary, Yuri, Isla) edged out Lacid (Meitenkun, Shermie, Ash) 2-1. CR's MadKOF (Sylvie, Heidern, Goenitz) overwhelmed Comitê's PiterErn (Duo Lon, Dolores, Isla) 2-0. MDC's JuanKOF (Shun'ei, Duo Lon, Isla) handled Bubblan (Duo Lon, K', Ash | K', Kim, Ash) 2-0. Falcons' Mok (Shun'ei, Duo Lon, Kukri) shut down Chawan (Shingo, Ramón, Ash) 2-0. Nemesis' RocklandKyo (Iori, Benimaru, Sylvie) eliminated Falcons' Tamago (Rock, Blue Mary, Benimaru) 2-1. CDM's Rino (Orochi Yashiro, Yashiro, Heidern) won against T1's ZJZ (Hinako, Nakoruru, Chizuru) 2-1. Comitê's Lauyagami (Ángel, Hinako, Chizuru) defeated ViolentKain (K', Rock, Ryo) 2-0. (Check the full battle log for in-depth matchups.)
Samurai Shodown's Top 8 Winners Bracket sets Masaton (Kazuki) against Reject's Score (Hibiki).
The Losers Bracket features Nishi no Yuu (Genjuro) versus Niceball (Sogetsu, Iroha, Gongsun Li, Mina), Watanabe Shachou (Baiken, Hanzo, Kazuki), DG's Cipher (Baiken, Warden) against Okkun (Shizumaru, Mina, Baiken), with rankings including 5. (tied), 5., 7. Yuu (Yashamaru), 7., 9. Rance (Yoshitora), 9. Iwayou (Shiki, Warden), 9. XBF's Maki (Jubei), 9. Kanme's Tao (Galford), 13. BBoySonicX (Wu-Ruixiang, Nakoruru, Baiken), 13. Silva's DidimoKOF (Shizumaru), 13. Guppy (Charlotte), and 13. Geeks' K2 (Kazuki).
Top 8 logs show: Winners semi-finals saw Masaton (Kazuki) defeat Niceball (Gongsun Li, Mina) 2-0. Nishi no Yuu (Genjuro) eliminated Yuu (Yashamaru) 2-0. Winners semi-finals also had Reject's Score (Hibiki) overpower Watanabe Shachou (Kazuki, Baiken) 2-0.
Top 16 logs: DG's Cipher (Warden) dismissed XBF's Maki (Jubei) 2-0. Nishi no Yuu (Genjuro) took out Rance (Yoshitora) 2-1. Yuu (Yashamaru) beat Iwayou (Shiki, Warden) 2-1. Okkun (Shizumaru) conquered Kanme's Tao (Galford) 2-0. DG's Cipher (Baiken, Warden) edged Guppy (Charlotte) 2-1. Rance (Yoshitora) defeated BBoySonicX (Nakoruru, Baiken) 2-0. Geeks' K2 (Kazuki) won against Kanme's Tao (Galford) 2-1. Yuu (Yashamaru) eliminated Silva's DidimoKOF (Shizumaru) 2-1. Masaton (Kazuki) triumphed over WBF's Maki (Jubei) 2-1. Watanabe Shachou (Baiken) bested Nishi no Yuu (Genjuro) 2-1. Niceball (Sogetsu, Iroha) overcame Okkun (Shizumaru, Baiken) 2-1. Reject's Score (Hibiki) dominated Iwayou (Shiki) 2-1.
First-round logs: Okkun (Shizumaru) swept BBoySonicX (Wu-Ruixiang) 2-0. Nishi no Yuu (Genjuro) defeated Geeks' K2 (Kazuki) 2-1. XBF's Maki (Jubei) edged Silva's DidimoKOF (Shizumaru) 2-1. Masaton (Kazuki) handled Yuu (Yashamaru) 2-0. Watanabe Shachou (Hanzo) dominated Kanme's Tao (Galford) 2-0. Reject's Score (Hibiki) won against DG's Cipher (Baiken) 2-1. Niceball (Sogetsu) overcame Rance (Yoshitora) 2-1. Iwayou (Shiki) defeated Guppy (Charlotte) 2-0. (Full battle log available.)
Art of Fighting 3's Top 8 Winners Bracket highlights LUCY's Sou (Rody).
The Losers Bracket includes ACG's ArcadeGameCalifornia (Ryo, Lenny) versus Emujima (Wang-Koh-San), with 4. DFM's Go1 (Lenny), 5. KojiKOG (Rody, Wang-Koh-San), 5. VIT's K-Top (Rody), 7. WBG's Diaphone (Kasumi, Rody), and 7. Strawberry (Rody).
Top 8 logs: Losers semi-finals featured Emujima (Wang-Koh-San) eliminating DFM's Go1 (Lenny) 3-0. Winners finals saw LUCY's Sou (Rody) defeat ACG's ArcadeGameCalifornia (Ryo) 3-2. DFM's Go1 (Lenny) overcame KojiKOG (Rody) 3-2. Emujima (Wang-Koh-San) took out VIT's K-Top (Rody) 3-1. DFM's Go1 (Lenny) bested WBG's Diaphone (Kasumi, Rody) 3-2. VIT's K-Top (Rody) eliminated Strawberry (Rody) 3-1. Winners semi-finals had LUCY's Sou (Rody) sweep KojiKOG (Rody, Wang-Koh-San) 3-0. Winners semi-finals also included ACG's ArcadeGameCalifornia (Ryo, Lenny) edging Emujima (Wang-Koh-San) 3-2. (View full battle log.)
From Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves LCQ, qualifiers are Falcons' Tamago (Hotaru), Cyborg (Billy), BS's Koopatj (Preecha), Kousei (Hotaru), and KojiKOG (Billy) after a tiebreaker win.
Rankings: 5. Seis Mx (Kain), 5. KojiKOG (Billy), 7. Coach Steve (Marco, Terry), 7. AG's Reynald (Kain).
Top 8 logs: Tiebreaker had KojiKOG (Billy) defeat Seis Mx (Kain) 3-0. Kousei (Hotaru) eliminated KojiKOG (Billy) 3-0. BS's Koopatj (Preecha) beat Seis Mx (Kain) 3-2. Kousei (Hotaru) took out AG's Reynald (Kain) 3-1. BS's Koopatj (Preecha) overcame Coach Steve (Marco, Terry) 3-1. Winners semi-finals: Cyborg (Billy) defeated Seis Mx (Kain) 3-2. Winners semi-finals: Falcons' Tamago (Hotaru) dominated KojiKOG (Billy) 3-0. (Full battle log.)
King of Fighters 15 LCQ qualifiers: GHZ's Chino Funkey (Ralf, Clark, Heidern), Comitê's Kaiser666 (Ryo, Kyo, Terry), Reject's Score (Orochi Yashiro, Chizuru, Heidern), and MDJS-E's FReZZer (Benimaru, Heidern, Isla).
Rankings: 5. TNS' Yurikov (Meitenkun, Blue Mary, Isla), 5. Falcons' Shadow X (Clark, K', Iori), 7. ESTA's Memo (Duo Lon, Benimaru, Rock), 7. Koukou (Duo Lon, Benimaru, Orochi Chris).
Top 8 logs: MDJS-E's FReZZer (Benimaru, Heidern, Isla) eliminated TNS' Yurikov (Meitenkun, Blue Mary, Isla) 2-1. Reject's Score (Orochi Yashiro, Chizuru, Heidern) defeated Falcons' Shadow X (Clark, K', Iori) 2-0. MDJS-E's FReZZer (Benimaru, Heidern, Isla) overcame ESTA's Memo (Duo Lon, Benimaru, Rock) 2-0. Reject's Score (Orochi Yashiro, Chizuru, Heidern) triumphed over Koukou (Duo Lon, Benimaru, Orochi Chris) 2-0. Winners semi-finals: Comitê's Kaiser666 (Ryo, Kyo, Terry) beat TNS' Yurikov (Meitenkun, Blue Mary, Isla) 2-1. Winners semi-finals: GHZ's Chino Funkey (Ralf, Clark, Heidern) edged Falcons' Shadow X (Clark, K', Iori) 2-1. (View battle log.)
Samurai Shodown LCQ qualifiers: Nishi no Yuu (Genjuro), Yuu (Yashamaru), Okkun (Shizumaru), BBoySonicX (Wu-Ruixiang), and Silva's DidimoKOF (Shizumaru) after a tiebreaker victory.
Rankings: 5. AndyOCR (Jubei, Baiken), 5. Silva's DidimoKOF (Shizumaru), 7. Yesports' RB (Basara), 7. DTN's GhostTheTrinity (Ukyo).
Top 8 logs: Tiebreaker saw Silva's DidimoKOF (Shizumaru) defeat AndyOCR (Baiken) 2-0. Okkun (Shizumaru) eliminated AndyOCR (Jubei) 2-0. BBoySonicX (Wu-Ruixiang) beat Silva's DidimoKOF (Shizumaru) 2-0. AndyOCR (Jubei) overcame Yesports' RB (Basara) 2-1. BBoySonicX (Wu-Ruixiang) defeated DTN's GhostTheTrinity (Ukyo) 2-1. Winners semi-finals: Yuu (Yashamaru) edged Okkun (Shizumaru) 2-1. Winners semi-finals: Nishi no Yuu (Genjuro) dominated Silva's DidimoKOF (Shizumaru) 2-0. (Full battle log.)
Wrapping up with the event schedule—click on images for expanded views. All times are in EDT. Time zone adjustments: PDT subtract 3 hours, UTC/UK add 4 hours, CET add 5 hours, JST add 13 hours.
What do you think—does the inclusion of LCQs level the playing field, or do they just dilute the prestige of direct qualifiers? And here's a controversial take: some argue that team-based games like King of Fighters give an unfair edge to meta-optimized combos over pure skill. Do you agree, or is that just sour grapes from solo fighters? Share your thoughts in the comments—let's debate who'll emerge as the ultimate SNK champion!
