The Ukrainian esports organization NAVI, owned by Maksym Krippa, became the first club to win the championship title at the 2026 Esports World Cup. Thanks to its victory in the Fatal Fury discipline, the team earned the maximum 1,000 club points and topped the tournament’s overall standings.
The team’s victory was secured by Fatal Fury player Luis Guadalupe “DarkAngel” Castillo Gómez. In the grand final, he confidently defeated Virtus.pro’s Japanese player mi2ha4 with a score of 5–1 and claimed the championship title.
DarkAngel’s victory secured $250,000 in prize money. In addition, thanks to his success, NAVI earned 1,000 points in the Esports World Cup team standings and took the top spot in the overall organization rankings.
The champion’s achievements didn’t end there. The victory secured DarkAngel a spot in the finals of the 2026 SNK World Championship in Fatal Fury, where participants will compete for a prize pool of $2.5 million. The tournament will take place from November 27 to 29 in Stockholm.
This is the second significant contribution the Mexican esports player has made to NAVI’s team standings at the Esports World Cup. Last year, he placed third in the Fatal Fury tournament, earning the organization 500 team points.
How DarkAngel Conquered the 2026 Esports World Cup
Luis Guadalupe “DarkAngel” Castillo Gómez’s path to the championship began in Group CC, where he was unable to advance without difficulty. In the upper bracket final, the Mexican lost to Vxbao 2–3 in a tense match, forcing him to continue his run through the lower bracket. There, the NAVI representative gave his opponents no chance: first, he confidently defeated Pida (3–0), and later defeated mok by the same score.
In the second group stage, DarkAngel looked much more confident. He started with a victory over SCORE from Elite Esports (3–1), then defeated Kindevu from Team Falcons in a tough match — 3–2—securing his spot in the playoffs.
The toughest challenge on the road to the title was the quarterfinal match against Reynald of Elite Esports. The opponents battled it out, and the winner wasn’t decided until the decisive set. DarkAngel snatched the victory with a score of 5–4 and continued his quest for the championship.
In the semifinals, the NAVI player defeated another strong opponent — Nemo from SOL—closing out the series with a score of 5–3. And in the tournament’s final match, the Mexican player gave mi2ha4 of Virtus.pro no chance, winning 5–1 and becoming the first Esports World Cup 2026 champion in the Fatal Fury discipline.
The next event in which NAVI will compete at the 2026 Esports World Cup will be the MLBB Women’s Invitational. The tournament will take place from July 14 to 18, and the world’s 16 strongest women’s Mobile Legends: Bang Bang teams will compete for a prize pool of $525,000, as well as 3,350 EWC club points.