Microsoft Excel. Yes, the software you use to make spreadsheets at work and hope your boss likes what they see. Did you know that Excel esports is actually a thing? And that the Microsoft Excel World Championship (MEWC) 2025 just took place in Las Vegas at the start of December? Yes, we’re serious.

When you think of esports, you probably imagine high-octane first-person shooters or frantic MOBA action. But the 2025 Microsoft Excel World Championship offers something a little different, as

What is Excel Esports?

Excel esports — not to be confused with the former League of Legends team of the same name – is a segment of the larger Financial Modeling World Cup (FMWC) that turns Excel into a competitive arena.

The Excel esports rules are fairly simple. Competitors face “cases”: puzzle-style challenges delivered as Excel files, which they must complete under strict time pressure. It’s less about finance or advanced domain knowledge and more about quick thinking, logic, formula mastery, and Excel fluency.

Every round utilizes objective grading (numbers or text entered into cells) to eliminate subjective scoring, ensuring the winner is never in dispute.

The Road to 2025 Finals: How Do Players Qualify?

The 2025 championship is structured like many “traditional” esports tournaments: there’s a global qualification path, online playoffs, and a grand final — in this case, hosted in Las Vegas.

Competitors could enter any of the nine “Road to Las Vegas” monthly Battles between January and September 2025, pay a $20 entry fee, and attempt to solve the case within 30 minutes.

Those who succeed — along with qualifiers from regional qualification rounds and the broader FMWC community — make up the 256-player main draw. From there, elimination rounds whittle down to the last 16, and eventually, 24 players attended the live finals in Las Vegas in December.

It’s an international affair, too: qualification rounds are organised per continent, and online sessions accommodate time zones by running at 8:00 AM or 5:00 PM London time.

Who Won the Excel World Championship 2025?

On December 3, the Excel World Champion for 2025 was crowned: Irish competitor Diarmuid Early, the favorite for the competition, completed all of the tasks and puzzles first, with over five minutes to spare.

Timestamp 3:36:59

In winning the tournament, Early took home the top prize of $5,000. The total prize pool was set at $61,500.

The first official Microsoft Excel World Championship was held in 2022, so it’s still pretty early days for competitive spreadsheeting. With time, perhaps the MEWC will aspire to be involved in the Esports World Cup, too.