📝 One last ticket to Stockholm: The final weekend of OWCS EMEA

The Overwatch Champions Series EMEA Playoffs continue this weekend, and with it, the decider match between Team Peps and Gen.G Esports that will fill out the last EMEA seed for the World Finals in Stockholm. The rest of the fixtures will fill out the top 3 finishers of OWCS Stage 3 EMEA, who get the biggest share of the prize pool, and the final seed numbers for Stockholm.

After a Week 1 full of upsets, twists, and emotional exits, the stage is now set for an even higher-stakes showdown. If you missed out on the action from last week, you can catch every detail and more by checking out our summary of Week 1.

The playoff journey so far:

EMEA Playoffs - Week 2, Day 1 (October 25, 2025)

Lower bracket semifinal

Team Peps - Gen.G Esports

Both Team Peps and Gen.G Esports defied expectations last week, surviving elimination matches that few would have predicted them to win. Peps’ 3-1 victory over Team Vision was a display of discipline and confidence, while Gen.G’s unforgettable five-map triumph over Virtus.pro instantly became one of the biggest upsets of the season.

Now, these two redemption stories collide, with a spot at the World Finals on the line.

Each side’s resurgence has followed a similar arc: a rocky start, a scrappy win here and there, followed by steady growth, and culminating in playoff performances defined by grit and mental resilience. Peps have leaned on structure, preparation, and composure under pressure, while Gen.G have rediscovered the chemistry and synergy that carried them through their late-season revival.

It’s a matchup that feels impossible to call. Both teams are running on momentum and belief rather than expectation, and that often makes for the most dangerous kind of opponent. One will complete their underdog run and punch their ticket to Stockholm. The other will have to settle for fourth place and come back again next year.

Upper bracket final

Al Qadsiah - Twisted Minds

It doesn’t get much bigger than this: Al Qadsiah versus Twisted Minds, the latest chapter in Saudi Arabia’s fiercest esports rivalry. Every time these two giants meet, sparks fly, and the scoreboard rarely stops at three maps.

Their most recent OWCS clash went the distance, with Al Qadsiah narrowly edging out a 3-2 win in their week 1 regular season matchup. But since then, Twisted Minds have struck back, defeating their rivals 4-2 in the grand finals of the Saudi eLeague 2025. That victory wasn’t just about revenge; it was about adaptation. Twisted Minds finally found the key to overcoming Al Qadsiah’s trademark Symmetra comps by breaking the mirror-matchup entirely, switching to Wuyang-Brigitte that disrupted Al Qadsiah’s rhythm and forced them to rethink their usual positioning game.

We expect these two teams to meet again in the grand finals in our fourth match of this weekend, where the stakes will be even higher; however, this fixture will undoubtedly set the tempo and the groundwork for the rematch later on. While the winner of this matchup secures a place in the grand finals, the loser will have to fight for survival against the winner of Peps vs Gen.G. With both teams refining their strategies and lineups throughout the season, another five-map epic feels all but inevitable.

If history is any indicator, fans are in for a masterclass: the best Saudi teams in Overwatch going blow for blow, with everything on the line.

EMEA Playoffs - Week 2, Day 2 (October 26, 2025)

Lower bracket final and grand final

Our two final matchups of the weekend and of OWCS Stage 3 in EMEA. The winner of the lower bracket semifinal and the loser of the upper bracket final will face off to determine who earns the #3 seed for Stockholm and who advances to the grand final to face the winner of the upper bracket final.

If everything goes according to the script, which itself hasn’t been very stable lately, then it’s most likely that we’ll see Al Qadsiah at the grand finals. The team is still running undefeated, and they haven’t shown any signs of slowing down anytime soon. Twisted Minds will most likely pair up with them for a final faceoff to determine the top two seeds and who goes home with the biggest share of the prize pool. However, Gen.G most recently pushed Twisted Minds to the brink in a 5-map thriller. So, whoever wins the Peps-Gen.G matchup definitely stands a chance to cause another upset and elevate themselves to the grand finals.

No matter who ends up as the participants of these final two showdowns, we are guaranteed an evening of thrilling battles and will see the final standings of EMEA and how the region will line up for the World Finals.