OpTic Gaming has won the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 title at Esports World Cup 2026 after defeating Team Heretics 5-3 in the Grand Final. The result saw the North American organization successfully defend its EWC Call of Duty crown and collect the $600,000 first-place prize.
The best-of-nine Grand Final took place in Paris on August 9. Heretics remained competitive deep into the series, but OpTic eventually reached the five-map threshold after eight games to close out the tournament.
Anthony «Shotzzy» Cuevas-Castro was named tournament MVP following OpTic’s run through one of the more demanding sides of the playoff bracket.
Their postseason campaign began against FaZe Clan, with OpTic taking the quarterfinal series 4-0. The matchup carried additional significance after FaZe had defeated OpTic 5-2 in the 2026 Call of Duty League Championship Grand Final only weeks earlier, denying them a third consecutive CoD Champs title.
OpTic then faced 100 Thieves in the semifinals. Unlike the quarterfinal, the series required all seven maps before OpTic secured a 4-3 victory and advanced to the Grand Final.
Team Heretics emerged from the opposite side of the bracket. The team survived a seven-map quarterfinal against G2 Esports, winning 4-3, before sweeping Team Falcons 4-0 in the semifinals.
100 Thieves ultimately took third place after beating Falcons 4-3 in the consolation match. OpTic earned $600,000 and 1,000 Club Points for first place, while Heretics received $320,000 and 750 points. Third-placed 100 Thieves collected $210,000 and 500 points.
The Black Ops 7 competition featured 16 teams competing for a $1.8 million prize pool. Eight teams advanced from the group stage into the single-elimination playoffs, culminating in the best-of-nine Grand Final.
The victory also makes OpTic back-to-back Call of Duty champions at the Esports World Cup. The organization won the 2025 competition during the Black Ops 6 season before returning to defend its title on Black Ops 7.
This year’s championship came under different circumstances. OpTic entered EWC after falling short against FaZe in the CoD Champs 2026 Grand Final in July. Less than a month later, OpTic eliminated the same opponent in Paris before completing its EWC title defense against Heretics.
