Puerto Rico's Defiant takes the victory, securing a spot in the Arc World Tour 2025-2026.
The runner-up is BigBlack, a formidable Byakuya player.
Defiant from Puerto Rico emerged victorious in the "Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes" division at "Evo 2025," held in Las Vegas, USA, from August 2nd to 3rd, 2025. The tournament saw a massive turnout with 547 players from around the globe.
As a designated 'Platinum+' event on the Arc World Tour 2025-2026 (AWT 2025-2026) circuit, the winner is granted a direct seed into the season finals. Consequently, Defiant has officially qualified for the 'AWT 2025-2026 Finals,' scheduled for March 2026.
This marks Defiant's second consecutive year qualifying for the Finals, following his appearance in the previous season where he finished in 4th place.
The Grand Finals featured a showdown between BigBlack (Byakuya), advancing from the Winners side, and Defiant (Hyde, Londrekia, Ogre), who fought his way through the Losers bracket. The two had previously met in the Winners Semifinals, where BigBlack was victorious, setting the stage for Defiant's revenge from the Losers side.
Since Top 24, Defiant had been strategically alternating between Hyde, Londrekia, and Ogre. However, against BigBlack's Byakuya, he stayed committed to Hyde throughout the set. Defiant won the first set of the Grand Finals 3-1 to reset the bracket, and after a grueling back-and-forth battle in the reset, he secured the championship with a 3-2 victory, completing an impressive comeback.
