PogChamps 6 star-studded lineup: List of all 12 contestants

On March 26, 2025, Chess.com released the list of participants for the upcoming PogChamps 6. The sixth edition of the amateur chess tournament, which features popular Twitch streamers and YouTubers, will start on April 29, 2025, and span four days.

This time around, the PogChamps 6 format has been revised, with the entire roster sorted into two groups instead of four, as participants compete for a share of the $100,000 prize pool.

Alongside regular content creators, such as Ludwig Ahgren and Dr. Lupo, a VTuber named Filian, and two sports stars – Olympic Bronze medal-winning gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik and Premier League player Ebere Eze – will also vie for the top prize.

List of PogChamps 6 participants

Here is the star-studded lineup for PogChamps 6:

DrLupo - Variety streamer/content creator
Ebere Eze - Athlete (Premier League - Crystal Palace F.C.)
Filian - Variety VTuber
Hungrybox - Esports Super Smash Bros player/streamer (Team Liquid)
Inoxtag - Long Form variety content creator
Linzor - Long-form anime content creator
Ludwig - Variety streamer/content creator
Macaiyla - World of Warcraft streamer/content creator
Mongraal - Fortnite Streamer/Content Creator
Sambucha - Long-form variety content creator
Stephen Nedoroscik - Athlete (Team USA Men’s Gymnastics)
WolfeyVGC - Pokemon player/content creator/streamer

PogChamps started in 2020 to tap into the growing interest in chess from the content creation space.

Ludwig, xQc, and others began playing and streaming the game on their channels during the COVID-19 pandemic. Chess.com announced the tournament for amateur chess players soon after GM Hikaru Nakamura thanked content creators like xQc and BoxBox for promoting the sport and introducing it to a wider audience.

PogChamps was thus conceived, and the event was livestreamed on Twitch, exceeding viewership expectations thanks to the participation of online personalities like MoistCr1TiKaL.

PogChamps 6 was last held in July 2023 and was won by IRL Twitch streamer CDawgVA. With the tournament now on the calendar, chess fans can look forward to more viral clips as the star-studded lineup of streamers and athletes competes in the event.

About the author

Richik has been specializing in streamer content at Sportskeeda for over 2 years. He also manages a group of writers who craft relevant news and features about content creators on platforms like Twitch, Kick, and Rumble. Prior to Sportskeeda, he interned at The Ken and worked as a reviewer at Blacksof where he fact-checked educational content.

Richik’s love for writing, researching, and archiving, along with his inquisitive nature and longstanding love for video games led him to pursue a career as a gaming journalist. He relies on primary sources for accurate information and ensures that his drafts are proofread, fact-checked, and well-researched.

As a child, Richik spent many a summer vacation playing the 1994 Road Rash with his cousins. Although more of an FPS and open-world fiend now, Richik enjoys single-player RPGs with compelling storytelling, such as The Last of Us franchise, and regularly teams up with his friends to play multiplayer titles like Valorant on PC.

Richik enjoys watching streamer and former esports athlete Shroud, and also finds inspiration in MrBeast's journey to become one of the most well-known content creators worldwide. Interviewing English-Somali YouTuber Sharky, a member of the renowned Beta Squad, was a career highlight for him.

When not writing, Richik likes to read, watch a movie or a game of football.

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Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh